Eleanor's Revenge
by Tari Tinuviel
Summary: Ella Banks never fully knew where she belonged, but she knows she has a promise to fulfill to the person who was just like a mother to her. Eventual Will/OC.
1. Prologue

Hello! If you have stumbled upon this story, then I welcome you - this isn't my first attempt at a POTC story, but the previous one was horrendous, and I deleted it after I gave up hope on trying to fix it, but now I'm back, and hopefully better than before! Anyways, I decided to write this because I was back in my pirate mood (Especially with the new movie about to come out in a couple of days.)

And of course the **Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

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><p>At ten years of age she was nothing more than a cabin girl on <em>The Phoenix<em> her Captain was a strong woman, someone she aspired to be like when she was older. Ella Banks was a girl from nowhere, her parents were dead, and she had no family save for the crew on _The Phoenix_whom had taken her in since she was but a toddler stumbling about on the beach, covered in blood beside the bodies of her deceased parents, too young to understand that they had been killed before her young eyes, the Captain had taken her in like her own daughter, and raised her on the ship, taking her along from port to port, and from island to island teaching her everything it took to be a proper pirate, and a proper lady.

The young girl sat on the rail, staring out at the horizon; there she saw a small dot, a mass of land yet to grow as they neared it. "Oi! Cabin Girl!" Someone cried out.

She turned around. "Yes?"

The first mate, a tall burly man with a missing eye walked over to her holding a bucket and mop. "Get workin'."

She sighed and jumped down before grabbing the things and running off to work.

Captain Isabella Banks sat at her desk, staring at the map before her, she looked up at her first mate as he walked into the quarters, "I put the girl to work." He said.

She nodded and let out a sigh, "Are you sure, Wilson?" She asked.

"I heard it from Lame Larson 'imself, ma'am." He replied solemnly.

"Larson is not dependable." She said as she got up and put her hands behind her back as she walked to the window. "We know that."

"But, Ma'am, 'e swore on 'im mother's grave that the –"

"Still, I would not believe Matthew Larson even if he was the only person I had to trust… but even so we are nigh on making port in Brazil, so even if it were true –" She looked at him, the Captain seemed ageless, she had been his captain for many a year, and yet she was still the same… only wiser.

"Yer thinkin' about the girl." He said.

"Eleanor is young." She said. "A brush with the E.I.T.C at this age is too soon." She frowned. "And you say Beckett sails with them… that is hardly comforting."

"I heard he sunk Sparrow's ship." He said.

"Jack is an idiot, he's probably found a way to get another… we haven't seen or heard of him since the day we found the young one." She said. "He sunk Sparrow's ship a long time ago."

"What do you suggest den, Captain?" He asked.

She sat down again. "I have friends in Brazil; I know they won't turn her away."

"That be a good plan."

She nodded and sat back in her chair. She suddenly got up when they heard the watch cry out. "Sails 'ho!"

The captain ran out and went to the rail, past Ella who was mopping away diligently. "Colors?" She called up.

"The Company!"

She gritted her teeth. "Prepare arms!" She yelled.

Ella looked up, not understanding why the captain looked panicked, this wasn't the first time she had seen a fight. And what was the Company? She dropped the mop and ran to the rail right beside Isabella who was glaring at the small fleet looming in the distance. "And we were so close." She grunted.

"Captain?" The girl asked.

She looked down at the girl, green eyes full of distress as she looked at the child she treated as her own for seven years, the girl had a mop of brown hair and brown eyes that stared back at her curiously. Isabella crouched down and looked her in the eye, "Try to survive." She said.

"But –" Ella started but the captain left her, barking orders here and there as the crew rushed about.

Suddenly somebody grabbed her from the back of her shirt. "What are you doing?" She cried out as Wilson stomped to the starboard rail across deck.

"Keepin' ya safe!" He replied.

"But what -!" She shrieked as he tossed her overboard, throwing her as far as him arm could let him.

She held her breath as she was tossed into the ocean, and then let out a gasp of air as she broke to the surface, keeping herself afloat she watched as a battle commenced. With a giant explosion her life was torn apart, she looked about in horror as the bodies of her fellow crew members floated lifelessly, the water about her turning red with their blood amidst the rubble and broken parts that used to be a ship, her eyes turned to the small fleet as they sailed away, cries of victory could be heard. The girl saw the captain hanging on to a trunk, she quickly swam her way. "Captain!" She cried out, her voice was raw and tears fell as salty as the sea. "Captain!"

"E-Ella." She managed a smile.

"Captain, why is this happening?" She asked quietly. The captain coughed, Ella could see that she was badly wounded. "C-Captain?"

"B-Beckett." She said. "Remember that name, E-Ella… Cutler Beckett –" She let out a shuddering breath as she fell into the sea.

"Captain!" The girl cried out sharply.

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><p>A Naval ship sailed along; Captain James Norrington was walking about slowly as he oversaw the work of his crew. "Captain!" One of the men yelled.<p>

He quickly walked over to the rail and saw a child floating in the water, face burnt from the sun and lips horribly dry. "Man overboard!" He yelled out. "Quickly!"

They hoisted the child onto the deck and saw a necklace hanging about its neck, Norrington assumed the child to be female. "Get her below."

"Aye!" Someone cried out before carrying the child away.

"What about the girl?" One of his Lieutenants asked.

"We wait for her to wake up and ask who she is… when we reach Port Royal we shall find her someone to take her in." He said.

"I see."

Below deck the girl was taken care of by the Ship's physician, he pressed a wet cloth to the girl's burnt face. "How is she, Doctor?" Captain Norrington asked.

"She is badly sun burnt." He replied. "And dehydrated, but she will live."

Norrington nodded. "I see."

"She, of course, needs plenty of rest. So I shall let her sleep, question her once she is well enough to walk about."

"Very well."

Slowly they left her along.

A while later Ella slowly blinked as she woke up, trying to take in where she was, it was dark… and it looked like she was on a ship. "W-Where…" She croaked, her throat her and then she remembered what had happened, and why she was there.

"So you are awake." A voice said.

She turned and saw a man from the navy; the young girl squeaked and hid. "I didn't take it sir, honest!"

Norrington frowned. "What are you talking about?"

She looked at him. "Aren't you taking me to prison?" She asked.

"Why would I do that?" He asked.

She was silent.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Eleanor." She replied.

"Eleanor…?" He questioned.

"Just Eleanor. My mother and father died a long time before I knew them."

"Who took you in?" He asked.

Tears filled her eyes. "You'll hang me if I tell you."

He sighed and sat down. "We won't hang a child."

"Promise?"

"By my Honor as a man of the Royal Navy." He said.

She sniffled. "Captain Isabella Banks." She replied.

"… The Pirate?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry." He said. "Someone will take care of you once we make port."

Her eyes widened with fear. "But –"

He continued. "A nice family… someone who was not blessed with a daughter."

She looked down and nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, sir."

"Thank me by growing into a proper woman of society." He said.

"I promise!"

He smiled and nodded. "Very good." He said just before getting up and leaving her.

The very first lesson Isabella taught her when she was old enough to understand was always go with the flow, being a pirate was not an easy thing, Ella felt trapped and smaller than she had ever felt in her life, being a child who would listen to her? Who would believe that she wanted to be a fierce and elegant pirate captain one day? For now she would have to be just Eleanor, and who knows? She might like living on land, even if she would miss her family terribly, and she would bear the pain of their deaths for a very, very long time.

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><p>So how was this as a start?<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	2. Eight Years Later

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

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><p>It was late in the morning in the Hawthorne house-hold, Lord James Hawthorne sat in his study reading a letter that had just arrived from the governor of Port Royal, Governor Weatherby Swann. It was an invitation to a dinner party for that evening. "Is she not awake?" He asked his wife who sat in the room stitching on white cloth that was fastened tightly onto a wooden circle frame.<p>

"No." She said quietly. "I sent the maids to go wake her."

"You know that does not work with her." He said with an exasperated sigh as he put his pen down and got up.

As he walked up the stairs he could hear the servant-girls pleading through the door. "Please, Miss, wake up."

"I'll do it." He said before standing by the door and sharply rapping his knuckles against the smooth white wood. "Eleanor?" He called through the door. "Are you up yet? It's almost noon!"

The door opened and his 18 year old daughter stood there in a robe, and her hair was a mess. "It is not." She said with a frown.

"It is late." He said.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "It is not like I have a lot to do anyways." She said.

He chuckled. "Indeed." He agreed. "But tonight we are invited to a dinner party at the governor's household. To celebrate the safe return of Elizabeth from such a harrowing ordeal such as being abducted by pirates."

She grinned and let him pat her cheek before she turned and let the servant-girls help her get dressed.

She learned to not mind when the tightened her corset, rather than hissing and puffing she stared out the window right to the sea, her face looking sad. She then smiled again when Elise, one of the servant-girls, caught her attention. "All done miss." She said.

Ella smoothed her hands down her sides and then lifted her hands so that they could help her into the dress. Once she was dressed in a cream and light-blue colored dress she sat down as they began to style her hair. Once that was done she watched them in the mirror as a necklace was placed about her neck. "Thank you." She said, dismissing them.

They curtsied and left her. She let out a long sigh and stared at herself in the mirror. 'It has been exactly eight years since that day.' She thought with a frown. 'Eight years since Lord Hawthorne took me in.' She got up and walked over to her window as she remembered that day.

It had been her first day in Port Royal, and Norrington had taken her to the Hawthorne's before they were given any title. Annabelle Hawthorne was a young woman who was unable to bear children, and James Hawthorne longed for a child, someone to carry on the name, and take care of the business he ran after his death.

She let out a sigh as she thought of the person who had been a father to her for the past eight years. Yes, he was dear to her as if he was actually her father, and she loved Annabelle deeply. But she did not belong there, she hated how used to being a proper lady of society she was, and the fact she enjoyed it deeply disturbed her. She was a pirate to the core. "If I am… then what am I doing here in fancy gowns and ivory combs holding up my hair?" She asked the empty room. She let out a sigh and put her hand to her necklace. 'Cutler Beckett.' She thought, the same name that ran through her mind ever since her dying captain whispered it to her.

"Eleanor!" She heard someone call for her.

"Coming mother." She called back.

She walked out of her room and made her way to the stairs, there at the foot of the stairs she saw someone that made her smile. Sean Andrews, a tall brown haired man with bright blue eyes, was a very dear friend of Ella's. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me." He said, eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.

"Well." She said with a shrug. "If I must be."

A short while the pair was walking along the beach. "Your parent's seem to be well." He said.

"They are." She replied. "Father's business is doing well –"

"Ah yes, importing Cotton." Sean said.

"And mother… well, she is herself, content with going about from party to party, and dinner to dinner." She shook her head with a small smile. "At her age, she is living fast."

Sean chuckled. "It must be tiring to be the only daughter of such likable people." He said.

"Oh yes." She replied. "Sometimes I am so tired of the parties."

"And we both know that is a big lie." He smirked.

"You caught me." She said with a dramatic sigh.

He rolled his eyes and grinned.

"What about you?" She asked. "How is the – what it is? Slave Trade? How is that working for you?"

"I am a Merchant." He said.

"Merchant – Slave Trader… it's all the same, or was, once upon a time."

"Don't tell me you are about to go onto one of your humanitarian tirades again." He said.

"It's not like you'll listen." She said. "No body listens so I just gave up."

"But why, it was quite adorable to see how interested you became, it's just like every time." He said patting her head.

She pushed his hand away. "I don't understand what you mean." She said.

"I am just saying, old friend, is that your interests are many, and each one of them is very short lived."

"They are not." She said.

"Denial does not suit you."

"I did not ask for your opinion."

He squinted; "Hey, isn't that your Blacksmith friend… what was his name? Darwin –"

"Turner." She corrected. "William Turner… yes." She said.

"I heard he went on some wild adventure and saved that girl –"

"Elizabeth Swann." She nodded.

"Everyone is talking about it." He said. "And about how the notorious Jack Sparrow is now in the captivity of our very own Commodore Norrington."

She stopped and looked at him oddly.

"What?" He asked.

"Jack Sparrow." She said. "As in _Captain_ Jack Sparrow."

"A sorry excuse for a captain, I must say." Sean said. "But why do you look like that?" He asked.

"I-It's nothing." She said quietly as she continued to walk alongside him.

Slowly as they walked the figure in the distance that was William Turner neared them. Once they were right before each other they stopped. "Hello." He said and then bowed to Ella. "Ms. Hawthorne."

"Hello, Will." She said brightly. "How have you been?"

"Well." He said. "And yourself?"

Ella still remembered the day she first met the Blacksmith, they became fast friends because they were similar, outcasts made to fit into the world that is Port Royal.

"I am fine." She said. "You look distracted."

He awkwardly looked away. "I haven't been myself since we got back." He said.

"It must have been a very trying ordeal." She said. "I can't imagine what you must have gone through."

"Oh yes." He said. "It was terrible."

She nodded slowly. "Well, we should get going; I have a dinner party to get ready for." She added brightly.

"Good day." He said.

"Good day, Will!" She waved as she and Sean walked the other way.

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><p>Ella stood in the corner of the room, staring about at the people who mingled amongst themselves all very happy for the safe return. Ella, however, was occupied with thinking about what she had learned earlier in the day. She then spotted Elizabeth chatting with a tall woman who wore so much powder her face was as white as snow. With a sigh she smoothed her hands on the skirt of her dress before weaving her way through the crowd and right to the Guest of Honor.<p>

"Elizabeth." She said with a smile.

She turned and smiled. "Ella, you made it."

"It's not every day that your friend survives being abducted by pirates." She replied. "Tell me, was it horrifying?"

Elizabeth wound her arm through Ella's and led her away. "It was terrifying." She replied.

"Ah, but you have the same smile you had the one time we 'accidentally' pushed Amelia Dawson into the fountain." Ella said in a whisper.

"If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.

"I promise." Ella said.

"It was exciting." She led Ella to the garden outside so they could speak without being overheard.

Ella listened quietly as Elizabeth told her the tale of what happened; all the while she was aching inside with envy and her longing for the sea. It had always been like this, Ella and Elizabeth, ever since Lord Hawthorne took Ella in and each girl discovered that they were not too different.

Once she was done Elizabeth looked over to her friend. "It was almost like those storied you used to tell me, about the sea."

Ella managed a smile. "How exciting."

"I –"

"Elizabeth!" Someone called out.

"Oh. I must go." She said.

Ella nodded and watched her friend run off. She, on the other hand, had no intention of returning to the party. Instead she made her way past the gates and right to the prison.

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><p>Second chapter, first of all I want to thank <strong>bluelibellule13<strong> for the very first review on this story.

I know this chapter is pretty short, but I promise I'll try to make the others longer! So, how was this chapter?

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	3. Pirate

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

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><p>The great captain Jack Sparrow sat in the cell. This glared at the lock, and then at the pirates that were locked away. "Bloody traitors." He muttered.<p>

"But Miss, he's a menace." Someone said.

"I believe he aided a friend of mine to save Ms. Swann." Said another voice, this one decidedly female.

"But –"

"What if I wish to thank him?" She asked.

"…Very well… but –"

"If anything happens I will call for help." The woman said.

Jack didn't bother to sit up as a girl of obvious high blood walked into the prison. He rolled his eyes; 'Probably just another girl trying to satisfy her curiosity.' He thought dryly.

"Are you Jack Sparrow?" She asked.

"I might be."

"Well, I am not looking for the person who might be Jack Sparrow." She said dryly.

"And who are you to be looking for him?" He asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"I knew Isabella Banks." She said.

He sat up. "Captain Isabella Banks?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Tell me, girl, how is it you know her?" He asked.

"I'm sorry; I can't tell that to someone who might be Jack Sparrow." She said.

He squinted. "If it ain't little Elly." He said.

"I'm not little anymore." She said.

"What can I do for ya?" He asked, and then glanced around the cell. "Or not do for ya."

"I just wanted to see if it was true." She said. "That they caught you."

"And here I am." He gestured about himself. "Tell me, how be your mum?" He asked.

"Don't you know?" She asked oddly.

"Know what?" He asked.

"They killed her." She said. "Along with everyone on the ship…"

"I heard they sent the Phoenix to the depths, but thought dear Izzy would survive." He frowned. "I guess not. Is that the only reason why you are here?" He asked.

"They are going to hang you."

"Thank you for reminding me." He said dryly.

"Sorry." She said.

"But look at you." He said. "All dressed up and proper, are ya busy?"

She frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

He smirked. "If I know Izzy, I know she woulda told ya the bloody bilge-rat that killed her." He said as he fell back. "And if I know anything, and I know a lot, I know you would be working for revenge."

"Then you don't know anything." She said. "Because I am not killing anyone."

"Ah… that sounds like a lie to my ears." He said. "A beautiful lie…"

"You don't know anything." She said.

"Are you really here to just see me?" Jack asked. "Or are you here to spring me out?"

She turned around.

"Pirate." He said as she left.

Ella frowned as she walked out of the prison, 'I have plans.' She thought, 'And they are my own.'

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><p>The following morning was the hanging of the notorious pirate Jack Sparrow. As a Noble, Ella and her father were asked to be in attendance. Elizabeth glanced at her as she stood with her father and Governor Swann while they spoke about the 'despicable' pirate.<p>

"He can't be all that bad, can he?" Ella asked. "I mean, he did save Elizabeth."

"Darling, it won't do you well to speak of matters that you do not fully understand." He said.

Ella scowled lightly before turning away. She loved him dearly, but sometimes they just did not see eye-to-eye. She glanced to her left and saw Norrington standing beside Elizabeth, and then they heard drums, she turned again and saw officers bringing out Jack. She walked to the front of the group, her eyes fixed on him, she felt like she had to do something to stop this. He smirked her way looking like he was expecting her to do something as well, even as they put him up upon the gallows and placed the rope about his neck.

A man stood by the gallows and began to read a proclamation. 'Jack Sparrow, be it known that you have –" Ella rolled her eyes when she saw Jack mutter something. "- for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature, the most egregious of these to be cited herewith, piracy, smuggling…"

"This is wrong." Elizabeth muttered to James.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law." Governor Swann said as Ella looked at him. "As are we all."

"But he saved Elizabeth." She said.

"That does not erase the life-time of sins that he has committed." Her father replied.

**"- **impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church of England, sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."

Ella's hand went to the necklace that hung about her neck, their attention went to Will as he neared them.** "**Governor Swann, Lord Hawthorne, Miss Hawthorne, Commodore… Elizabeth." He greeted them, but his eyes settle on Elizabeth. "I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you."

"That… was unexpected." Ella said. She then noticed that Will was headed straight for the gallows. She then looked at her father and frowned.

"I can't breathe." Elizabeth gasped as she fell back.

"Elizabeth." The governor gasped as he went to find her, as did the Commodore and Ella's father.

'To act or not to act.' She thought quietly and quickly.

"Move!" Will yelled.

Ella gasped as a couple of red coats began to close in on Will, she jumped off the ledge and ran the best she could in her dress easily ramming into one of the red-coats.

"Miss Hawthorne!" One of them yelled out.

"Sorry! I was terribly terrified!" She said. "I just didn't know what to do!"

"Ella?" A voice said.

"Sean!" She looked surprised.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

She looked about and saw Jack and Will running to the battlements of the Fort. She looked back at Sean and frowned. "I –"

"You meant to run into those men." He said.

"I have to go." She said getting up.

"What are you doing?" He asked again.

"Leave me alone!" She said as she ran to there the pair were now surrounded with men.

"I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt but not from you." James said as he looked at Will.****

**"**On our return to Port Royal , I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!" Governor Swann said.

"And a good man." Will said as he tossed his weapon down. "If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

"You forget your place, Turner."

"It's right here, between you and Jack ."

"As is mine." Elizabeth said as she joined the pair.

Ella let out a sigh and began to walk in the opposite direction. "Eleanor, where are you going?" Lord Hawthorne said to his daughter.

"Home." She said with a shrug.

"Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this. I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually? Ecumenically? Grammatically? I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that. Elizabeth? It would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry. Elly, my dear?" Everyone looked surprised as Ella glanced back at the pirate. "I'm glad to know I can count on ya… considering." He pointed at the people around her. "Will? Nice hat. Friends! –" She turned to leave.

"Eleanor!" Her father called out following her. "Eleanor, listen to me this instant!"

She kept walking.

"Eleanor Hawthorne –"

She finally stopped. "Father."

"How does that pirate know you?" He asked.

"I went to see him yesterday." She said simply.

"He spoke to you like he knew you far longer than that." He said.

She frowned. "Father, when you took me in you knew I was a cabin girl on a pirate ship."

"You have returned to piracy." He said.

"Father." She said.

"You aided the escape of a pirate, therefore you have engaged in piracy. I will not house a pirate." He said angrily.

She frowned. "Would you throw me out? The child you have raised for the past eight years?"

"I am Lord James Hawthorne, I will not be known as the Lord that houses a pirate." He said.

"I understand." She said with a nod. "Let me go get my things."

At the house Annabelle sobbed and tried to keep Ella from packing. "Where will you go?" She asked. "Who will take you in?"

"I don't know." Ella replied. "But I will not live where I am unwanted."

"Are you so numb to your mother's tears?" Annabelle sobbed as she hugged Ella tightly. "Would you leave me like this?"

"Are you done packing?" Lord Hawthorne asked coldly.

"No." Ella replied. "When I am done you will know."

"Shame on you, James!" Annabelle yelled at her husband. "To throw out this child! Our only daughter!"

"She is not our flesh and blood." He said. "She is not our daughter."

"How can you say such a cruel thing?" Annabelle cried out. "How can you?"

"I can when I found out we were housing a pirate." He spat.

"Eleanor." Annabelle said. "Please say it isn't true. Say you are not a pirate – say it!"

Ella had tears in her eyes as she shut the back that held her things.

"Eleanor!" She said shrilly as she grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently and desperately. "Say it!"

"… I'm sorry mother." She whispered brokenly. "But… it's true." She managed a smile. "The only reason I am here is for revenge." She said quietly.  
>"Revenge?" Annabelle asked quietly.<p>

"For the woman who found me when I was very small… and saved me." She said looking up at Annabelle. "But I will be forever grateful to you, mother." She said. "But I cannot stay a place where I am not wanted."

Annabelle hugged her tightly. "This is your home."

"… It feels like a prison." She replied quietly.

"We love you."

"You love me." She whispered. "But I fear the love was gone from Father's heart the moment I ran into that soldier."

"You aided the escape of that pirate?" Annabelle asked.

"Yes." She replied.

Ella gently pushed herself from Annabelle. "Mother… take care of yourself." She said with a small smile as she grabbed her stuff.

"James, stop her." Annabelle pleaded.

"Goodbye."

As she walked out of the door she saw Sean standing there as if he was about to knock on the door. "Sean." She said.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I have no idea." She replied with an odd smile. "Father kicked me out."

He nodded.

"Won't you say anything?" She asked.

"I have nothing to say." He replied.

"You, too, huh?" She asked. "I don't know why I expected you to be different." She frowned.

"I never would have thought of you as a pirate." He said.

"It strikes me as funny." She said. "All I did was run into a soldier… and suddenly I am labeled a pirate." She shook her head. "It's actually sickening."

"It was your choice to engage in piracy." He said.

"I was born into that world." She replied. "It was not something of my choice."

He scoffed. "Not your choice, if you had not rammed into those men that Turner wouldn't have freed Sparrow, and he would have been dead –"

"Shame on you." She said. "A human life is a human life; Jack did a good deed – he save a life, I think that warrants his life to be spared."

"You are naïve." He said. "If that is what you believe."

"I must leave." She said. "Maybe I will find a place that will not throw me out for who I am."

"Good luck with that." He said dryly.

She shook her head and left him.

That night she found herself sitting in a room of an inn deep in the city where no one knew her or her name.

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><p>Whew, third chapter out, how was this one?<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	4. On Her Own

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>It was late at night, and Ella sat up staring out at the town below, people sat in a pub just across the street where she could hear laughter and sea shanties. The inn she now lived in was dingy and only sailors bothered to rent rooms so she happened across less than savory characters. She let out a sigh and then looked up when she heard someone knocking on the door. She got up and walked to it. "Who is it?" She called through the worn-out wood.<p>

"It's me." Someone said.

"Will." She said opening the door to let her friend in.

"I came as soon as your mother told me." He said.

"Or as soon as father let her?" She asked.

"He doesn't know she told me." He replied. "I was delivering something to your father, when he went to find the money to pay for it she quickly told me what was wrong."

She let out another sigh as she watched him sit down on a chair while she sat on the bed.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" He asked.

"Tell you what?" She asked. "That I was raised by a pirate up until I came here? Or that I am waiting to avenge said pirate?" She shrugged. "Before your adventure you would have treated me the same as everyone else."

"You could have gone to Elizabeth." He said.

"No." She shook her head. "I don't want to burden anyone."

"But –"

"I'm fine, Will." She said. "Plus, two nights ago it was really scary, there was this shooting –"

"Get your things." He said quickly.

"I'm just kidding." She smiled. "Really."

He shook his head. "You never change."

She shrugged and stared at her hands. "Does he ever ask about me?" She asked.

"You father?" He frowned.

"I see." She said getting up and walking back to the window.

"Who is it that killed that…" He didn't know what the person was to his friend.

"My Captain?" She asked. "A man who works for the East Indian Trading Company." She said. "A cruel man who hates pirates…"

He saw anger cross her face and then disappear. "But why are you here, Will?" She asked.

"To see how you are." He said. "I have not seen you, or heard of you in days."

"Yes, I know." She said.

"Ella…"

"How is Elizabeth?" She asked.

"She's fine." He replied.

"Mhm." She nodded.

"Ella." He said gently.

"Will, I'm fine." She said. "In fact this is probably best."

"You're here alone, in the bad part of town." He got up. "At least stay with me until you find a better place."

She looked at him with an odd smile. "Will, I was told at the age of three I was found wandering on the beach drenched in the blood of my parents who lie dead… murdered, as it were." She frowned. "I lived on a pirate ship up until I was found at sea… this really isn't that bad." She then shrugged again. "And, maybe who knows, I might sail… head to Tortuga… find a ship… join a crew."

The thought of her going to that wretched place upset him. "Ella, you can't."

"I imagine Jack took you there." She said quietly.

"Yes, he did."

She grinned. "So typical of Jack… going there first."

"How do you know Jack?" He asked.

"Long story, but I think there was something going on between him and Isabella. Sometimes he would board ship, and tell the wildest stories, and I believed half of them. He called me 'Little Elly'…" She trailed off. "One day we heard his ship was sent to the depth…"

"His ship… the Pearl?" He questioned.

"No, no – a ship before the Pearl… but that was thirteen years ago… I was young." She stared out the window.

"Was he always…" She could see him move oddly in the reflection of the glass.

"Yes." She said.

"Are any of his stories true?" He asked.

"Some, for the most part… Jack makes himself out to be the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean, but in reality he is probably the most Humane… and out of all of the pirates I have met he is certainly the most likable… to a degree." She grinned. "But I would not trust him with my life."

"I haven't met a person yet who would." He said.

"That much is true." She agreed. "And he always has a way out."

He nodded in agreement.

For a long time he remained with her, listening to stories from her childhood, stories she couldn't tell anyone because she did not have anyone to trust them with.

* * *

><p>Ella walked about town with a basket in her arms, she let out a sigh as a group of girls that she once considered friends pointed at her, laughed amongst themselves, and then walked the other way. Port Royal was full of fake people, full of liars, full of people wearing masks, and she was sick of it. She looked past the buildings and caught a glimpse of the sea. With another sigh she carried on with her chores.<p>

"Ella!" A voice called out.

She turned around. "Elizabeth?" She gasped as her friend hugged her. "What -?"

"How are you?"

"I am just fine." Ella said. "Living on my own is not that bad. In fact, I'm thinking about traveling soon, I have been offered a position on a ship bound for wherever the wind takes it. A little adventure… to ease myself back into my old life." She shrugged. "And who knows, maybe I will return in a year, a stronger and better woman."

Elizabeth frowned. "Ella… you must reconsider just leaving –"

"Oh, don't worry… I thought about it a thousand times, I thought about it until my head hurt…" She grinned. "Port Royal is just… so boring at the moment."

"When are you leaving?" Elizabeth asked.

"… I bartered passage with a merchant ship earlier in the morning." She replied. "They cast off tomorrow at noon, I told them I'm going wherever they are, but I imagine I will jump ship when it suits me."

"What will you do?"

Ella smirked. "A mutual friend of ours will be waiting for me."

"Jack?" Elizabeth asked.

"Jack." Ella grinned and then looked down at her basket. "So I need to get some things done."

"Oh, then I'll see you later then?"

"Maybe." Ella said with a wave as she walked away.

Ella was indeed planning to set sail the next day, she had somehow received a missive from Jack inviting her to sail with him; she saw it as an offer she could not refuse. She shifted her newly bought items before making her way back to the Inn. She walked into her room and walked to the sack she had standing in the corner packed with a spare dress and other necessities. From the basket she pulled out a white shirt and black men's breeches as well as a red vest which she shoved into the bag. Once she was done she shut it and then looked about the room. 'This time tomorrow I will be leaving.' She thought with a sigh.

That night Annabelle sat in her chair staring out the window thinking about the fate of her daughter. It had been a little over a week since she was cast out of the house. She would often ask Elizabeth or Will to see how her dear Eleanor was doing.

"Hello, Mum." A voice said gently.

Annabelle let out a surprised squeal and got up, accidentally tossing whatever tea was in the cup she held, and slowly she turned around to see Ella blinking, tea dripping off her face and onto her dress. "Oh my darling, I am so sorry –" She quickly began to dab at her daughter's face with a napkin.

"It's fine." Ella said. "I forgot you don't like it when people sneak up on you."

"How did you get in?" She asked curiously.

"When I was fourteen I dug a tunnel from the Kitchen to the Smithy so I could sneak out every night and go to the beach."

"Why the smithy?"

"I thought it was funny to see Will's annoyed face every time I popped up while he was working late at night." She shrugged with a small grin. Her smile fell. "Mother, I came to wish you farewell." She said quietly.

"What? Why?"

"I'm casting off tomorrow…"

"But –"

"I'll be fine; I'm going to meet a friend who has a ship." She said.

"Do not tell me it is Sparrow."

"… ok, I won't."

"Eleanor!"

"Mum, I can't stand it anymore." She said. "Living in that pit, hearing how father's business is flourishing… and not being able to just live here… Jack is a good friend."

"But, darling, isn't Commodore Norrington hunting for him?"

"Then I shall give him your regards, shall I?" She smiled.

"Eleanor – please –"

"Annabelle." A voice said.

They turned around with surprised gasps. "Father." Ella said.

"Annabelle, go upstairs."

"But James –"

"Now." He said.

"Be safe, my darling." Annabelle said gently.

"I will." Ella said with a nod.

She watched her leave the room as she faced her father. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came to wish my mother farewell." She said quietly.

"You are not welcome here." He said.

"I was just about to leave." She replied, fighting back her tears. "But father… please –" She started.

"Leave."

"But –"

She gasped as he gripped her arm and forcefully led her out. "You never even let me explain!" She tried to say but her threw her out the door.

"I don't want to listen to the one person who has lied to me for the past eight years." He said before he turned back into the house and slammed the door shut before locking it. She sat on the step and stared at the garden, the tears she didn't let fall for a while now slid down her cheeks. She could still remember when he used to call her his little princess. Even though he was not her father by blood, she had always loved him. Slowly she got up and made her way down the path; she glanced up at the house and could swear she could hear her mother calling out for her. She frowned and continued her way back to the inn. As she passed the smithy she stopped and went to the door, she could hear the steady beat of a mallet on metal and that was enough tell her that Will was indeed hard at work.

She pushed open the door and walked in, there her friend paused mid-strike and turned to the door. "Ella." He looked concerned. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I can come back –"

"No, I mean… you look terrible." He said.

"Gee, thanks." She said dryly.

"Is everything ok?" He asked.

"I went to see mum." She said. "Father was there."

He moved things off a barrel and patted it so she could have a seat. "What happened?" He asked.

"He literally forced me out of the house…" She shrugged. "I just…"

"He loves you, El." He said gently. "He just… doesn't realize he does."

"That is not comforting." She said patting his cheek. "But I admire the effort."

He went back to his work. "How did you get into the house?"

"The tunnel." She said simply.

"That blasted tunnel… I thought I closed that up."

"No." She replied. "There's an entrance right outside the shop."

"You are…" He said with a sigh.

"Remember when we first met?" She asked.

"How could I forget?" He asked.

"I remember I was so scared to be here, to be around so many King's Men." She grinned.

"Now we know why." He said.

She nodded gently.

"I also remember you once said that you fancied me." He said with an odd grin.

"Ah, to be young and fearless." She teased. "Yes, I recall I did." She nodded. "But, I guess it is one of those things you grow out of." She didn't sound very convincing to herself.

"Hm." He said. "Are you sure you wish to leave?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "I must."

"Then…" He walked to a long slim box. "I was waiting to give you this on your birthday… but you have made up your mind, so…" He opened it and lifted a rapier from it. "… here."

"Will… I –"

"It's light." He said. "You don't have the strength to lift anything heavier… plus you move around a lot… this is strong and light."

She got up and grasped the hilt; the metal was cool in her hand, and the rings on it crossed together in a fashion most curious to Ella, but after a short while she smiled. "It looks like a rose."

"… yes, it was supposed to look like something else." He admitted.

"But, like everything else you make, it is made with skill." She said as she pulled it from the scabbard and gave it a jab. "It's fast."

"Yes." He nodded.

"Thank you, Will." She said as she looked at him. "This means a lot to me."

He smiled gently.

"When do you think you will return?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said as she sheathed the sword. "Maybe in a year or two…" She shrugged. "I'll try to locate the killer of my Captain… see what I can do about it… maybe once my score is settled, I will return." She hugged him tightly. "Take care of yourself, Will." She said.

"I should be telling you that." He said

She grinned. "Well… good bye." She said.

"But, we'll come to see you tomorrow." He said.

"Oh, you won't recognize me if you do, I must say." She replied with a small smile. "Take care." She said before leaving.

* * *

><p>It was morning, and the docks were full of sea-men readying their ships to cast off. A figure in a red vest made it's way past all the men, and the goats, and crates, and barrels to a ship called 'The Luna' there, at the top of the gang-plank stood an aged man who grinned a toothy grin. "Welcome aboard Mr. Hawthorne."<p>

The person smiled into the massive hat it wore. "Why thank you, Captain Williams."

"Always a pleasure to help a new friend, miss."

She smiled brightly. "Now Captain, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone – and I promised I'd work same as everyone else."

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Fourth chapter, maybe I should stop counting... anyways, how is this story? Feedback would be very lovely =]<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	5. Sirens

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>It had been eight years since she was last aboard a ship, and it was as if it were her first time ever as she could not find her sea legs at all.<p>

"You're a bloody landlubber." Someone said.

"That sound like Pirate Speak." She replied as she hobbled over to Captain Williams. He was a stout man with a white beard and grey eyes, and a smile that was missing a good amount of teeth.

"Aye, that is true." He agreed.

She sat on the rail and let the heels of her boots hit the side repeatedly. "Where is our heading, Captain?"

"Well." He said. "We here there is good fishin' too the south." He said. "Anyways we got ta drop of some cargo somewheres about Tortuga."

They smirked at the thought and then looked to the crew who worked about. "When will that happen?" She asked.

"Nigh sundown, now git to work." He said as he shoved a bucket into her hands.

"Aye Captain!" She said before rushing off.

The day was spent aboard the ship as Ella did chores, the men calling her 'Tiny' because compared to the rest of them she was rather small. As the sun began to set, as promised, Ella saw Tortuga in the distance and just between the ship and the island was a ship with black sails, mended with patches here and there. "It's the Black Pearl."

"The Black Pearl!" Someone cried out in fear.

"Stand your ground men." Captain Williams barked. "We be sailing in precarious waters a-run with pirates."

Ella had her things as she jumped up onto the rail. "Gentlemen." She said. "It's been a pleasure sailing amongst your thirty something semi-washed persons." She saluted them before turning around and diving off the rail.

"Captain!" Someone yelled.

"Leave 'im be." He replied. "And let us be on our own ways."

"But, sir, that man sounded like a woman!" Another cried out.

"Poor man's too effeminate… carry on!"

Ella broke to the surface and watched the Luna sail away as she turned her sights to the Pearl, on deck she could see people pointing at her and waving, she grinned and swam over to it, grasping a rope they had cast down to her. "Hoist 'er up!" Someone yelled out.

She braced herself as she was lifted out of the water, once she was at the rail two men gripped her wrists and pulled her aboard. "Hello Jack." She said to one of them.

"Hello, Elly." He said as she dropped her bag and saw the crew eyeing her curiously.

"Gents, perhaps ye have heard of the late Captain Isabella Banks?" Jack said.

"Rest her soul." An older man said.

"This be her daughter… Eleanor." Jack gestured to Ella. "And she will be joining are crew."

"Jack, don't tell me –" The older man started.

"Don't be silly, Gibbs." Jack said. "If she were from me own blood, me own daughter, I would 'ave never left her in Port Royal."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her dripping back.

"Mr. Gibbs, if you would so kindly show Elly down below." Jack said. "As for the rest of you deck-hands, bring her about!"

"What about making port?" A tall man asked.

Ella didn't hear a reply as she followed the aged man down the steps. "So you be Eleanor Banks." He asked. "Rumor was that you died in the attack."

"Rumors often prove false, what is your name?" She asked.

"Joshamee Gibbs." He replied.

"A pleasure." She smiled.

He showed her about a room full of hammocks, in one corner there was a cloth pinned up. "You'll be sleepin' here." He said as he pulled it aside to reveal an area with two hammocks. "Only one other person sleeps here."

"Who?"

"Her name be Anamaria." He replied.

She dumped her bag down and nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Gibbs." She then looked at him. "Where is Jack's heading?"

"At first we were running from the Navy." He said. "But we lost them a while back, now the Captain's been speaking of some treasure…"

"Of course." She said.

He left her alone. She let out a sigh and looked about her. "I sleep on the top one." A woman said.

"You must be Anamaria." Ella said as she turned around.

"I sleep on the top one, that way you won't fall on me." She said.

"Understandable." Ella replied.

"Welcome aboard the Pearl." She said with a smile.

Ella grinned. "Thank you."

A while later Ella was up deck. "So, Jack." She said. "You promised me an adventure, where is our heading?" She asked.

"Well, dearest Eleanor." Jack said. "Would you like to take a guess?"

"Sunken treasure somewhere." She replied.

"… yes." He flinched at her reply.

"Where?" She asked.

"North… very far north."

She frowned.

"Viking treasure." He replied. "Of Knut the Bloody."

"Knut the Bloody?" She asked with a scoff.

"Aye, they say he raided a good many a port and city." He said. "I think we can raid a bit."

She shrugged, "Whatever you say, Captain."

"Now… go do something."

She walked off, leaving Jack at the helm.

Gibbs nodded to her as she helped him tied down the sail. "Who is this… Knut the Bloody?" She asked.

"You don't know about Knut the Bloody?" He asked.

"… Father wouldn't let me read Pirate books." She said.

"Come here, lass." He said as they sat on two barrels. "Knut the Bloody was the most famous, most notorious pirate in the Nordic waters, and the most bloody."

"Well, yes, we established that." She said.

"Now pay attention." He said as he leaned in, she did leaned in as well. "Knut the Bloody was known to go from country to country, raid the capitol, take the loot and quickly hide it afore anyone can find it."

"And the ship…"

"Ah, you see, Knut knew his time was up, and that someone was about to discover his loot, so he gathered everything together, tossed it onto his boat and sailed out! His ship was so heavy that a tiny storm sent it to the depths."

"So the treasure is at the bottom of the ocean."

"Aye, off the cost of Greenland."

"In icy waters, how exactly does Jack think we're going to get to it?" She asked.

Gibbs looked up as Jack appeared beside them. "We're going to fish." Jack said. "If all else fails, I hear you are a very good swimmer."

She glared at him.

"Now, hurry up, I don't pay you to waste time."

"You don't pay us at all." Ella said.

"Nobody else is complaining." He said.

She made a face but went about her business just like everyone else did around her.

The days seemed to be lazy as they sailed on, days turned to weeks, and the more they pushed forward the colder the air seemed to get. Or so Ella noticed. "So." Jack said as she sat on the rail while he walked over to her. "Ya sure ya don't want to sail long term with us?" He asked.

"Well, no." She said. "I just wanted a taste of the Pirate's life… before I hunt down Beckett."

"Ah, Revenge, it's such an ugly thing, love." He said with a sigh. "Yet somehow, you make it look so good."

She rolled her eyes as she looked away.

"What? I mean it, love, every word."

"Yeah, not interested." She said.

"I'm hurt."

She smirked. "I didn't know you were capable of being hurt, Jack."

"Harsh." He said as he watched her jump off the rail. "I'll have ya know, that I can be a very sensitive soul." He followed her closely. "I cry and all that."

"I'm sure you do." She said. "But, still, not interested."

"You smell nice." He said.

"I smell like four weeks at sea." She said. "And goat."

"It suits ya."

"What exactly do you want, Jack?" She asked as she looked at him.

He stood a little to close for comfort, but she stood her ground. "You see." He said. "There is something I forgot to mention."

"And what is that?" She asked.

"Sirens." He said.

She frowned. "Sirens."

"Aye, Sirens. You know, half woman, half bird, ensnaring men with their songs of –"

"Yes, Jack, I know what a Siren is." She said, interrupting him. "Why do you choose to tell me this now?"

"Because." He said. "They have no power over the fairer Gender." He smirked as he caressed her cheek.

She slapped his hand away. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to get us through Siren territory." He said. "And Deaf Greg will help you and you will be helping Anamaria."

"Deaf…" She wondered aloud, he pointed to a tall lanky man with a calm face and pleasant disposition. "You have the friendliest pirates I will probably ever meet." She stated.

"You will have to tie us men to things on the ship, and Anamaria will sail it."

"That's it?" She asked.

"Well, no." He said. "I give you permission to shoot whoever gets free, because if they do they suffer a fate far worse than being shot."

She nodded and watched him walk away from her. She walked to Anamaria who was at the helm. "How long before we get to hostile waters?" She asked.

"Four days." Anamaria replied. "So you better prepare yourself."

Ella nodded and walked off.

In exactly four days Ella walked about the crew wrapped in a heavy fur-lined coat that she had found below deck, on her back was a musket as she walked about. "Well?" Jack said.

"Forget tying you to a mast, everyone below." She said.

They all looked at her and Jack. "What?" The Captain said.

"We'll just lock you all up in the brig." She said. "That way you are safely locked below, and I won't have to shoot anyone."

"That is a very clever idea." Jack said.

"And you'll be out of the way." Anamaria agreed.

"Everyone below!" Jack said. "Elly." He gave her the key. "Will ya kindly –"

"Gladly." She said as she pushed him.

Once they were all safely locked away Ella returned up-deck to join Anamaria where Deaf Greg was sitting on a barrel, clutching to a musket. "Don't disturb them." Anamaria said. "They will attack if they feel threatened."

"I don't need to be told twice." Ella said.

"Look ahead." Anamaria said.

Ella obeyed and saw a rocky strait. "We'll she be able to fit?" She asked.

"Aye, she will. She's been through worse, and these waters are not known to be shallow." Anamaria replied.

Ella nodded as they entered the strait. "This used to be a valley of ice." Ella said.

"And how do you know that?" Anamaria asked.

"I don't." Ella said. "But this way feels ancient. Just look about you."

Anamaria looked about. "It puts a chill to my bones." She replied.

"I –"

"Shh." Anamaria said.

Ella frowned and saw why, on one of the cliffs that jutted out to the side sat a figure. It was neither woman nor bird, with bright yellow eyes that watched silently, waiting for a kill.

"It looks…"

"Nothing like what your little books might have." Anamaria said quietly.

"Well, yes." She said.

The figure was tall, with massive black wings on its back, and its body was covered with black feathers and feet that looked like that of a crow. Hardly what was romanticized in the books of Greek legends, and stories of Heroes that fell.

"Do you hear that?" Ella asked quietly.

"What?" Anamaria asked.

"That song… that voice, in the air."

Anamaria nodded slowly. "I can hear it."

And like a whisper in the stony pass they heard it, a song that had been sung before.

"_Once he hears to his heart's content, sails on, a wiser man._  
><em>We know all the pains that the Greeks and Trojans once endured,<em>  
><em>on the spreading plain of Troy when the gods willed it so—<em>  
><em>all that comes to pass on the fertile earth, we know it all."<em>

Ella clutched the musket to herself as her jaw dropped. "I have only ever read about that song." She whispered. "It is the same song sung to Odysseus."

They heard a thud. "What brings you here to these waters?" A feminine voice said.

"We seek passage." Anamaria began. "To the end of this pass."

"We don't wish to disturb you." Ella added.

"We do not believe that Deaf fool is the only man aboard this ship." The voice said again.

Ella walked over to the source to see the Siren standing much taller than her. "Well, yes." She said.

"That is a lie." The Siren said.

"Did you think we would tell you the truth?" Ella asked.

The Siren's form changed into that of a beautiful woman. "Will this make you speak more freely."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Leave now."

"Ella!" Anamaria yelled.

She turned and saw more on deck, singing the same song, trying to lure out the men. From below Ella could hear them call out. The Siren smirked. "Ah."

She ran to the hatch and aimed the musket. "Back away!" She yelled. "All we want is passage!"

"We have not feasted in many a year." The leader said. Her bare feet padding lightly on the wood. "Sailors are always too clever, and they avoid this pass."

"Well, this bunch isn't the brightest." She shrugged. "Sorry."

Anamaria gave Greg the wheel as she joined Ella. "Be gone." She said. "We wish you no harm."

"That is a lie." The Siren said.

Ella aimed the musket. "We said, be gone." She said.

Suddenly there was a swarm of shrieks, feathers, and song, and in the frenzy gun-shots could be heard. Two Sirens fell to the ground dead. Ella looked at her unfired gun than at Anamaria who had shot her own. "Anamaria." She said.

The Sirens' shrieks intensified tenfold as they rushed about the pair suddenly the crew appeared, they had somehow gotten out of the cells. "No!" Ella cried out as some got grabbed by the Sirens. "How do we stop them?" She yelled to Anamaria.

"They can't hear them." Anamaria said. "Look at Greg."

Greg was blissfully unaware of what was going on as he was staring up at the sky.

"Lord help us." She muttered quietly. She then got an idea. "Wax in their ears!"

"And how do you suggest we go that?" Anamaria asked.

With a shrug Ella grabbed the Musket and slammed the end onto Jack's head, knocking him unconscious. "Or we can do that."

Anamaria agreed as they began to knock their companions unconscious until everyone was strewn about on the ground, leaving the girls to fight the monsters that were aboard the ship, using anything they could get to, pistols, and swords. Anything that could aide their battle.

The air was full of shrieks and feathers as the Pearl sailed on while a battle waged upon its deck.

* * *

><p>Jack sat up and rubbed his aching head, he looked about him to see his crew littered about him unconscious. He heard a splash that made him look to the rail where Ella and Anamaria stood, both looking bloody and tired. "Is that the last of them?" Ella asked<p>

"We tossed them all." Anamaria replied.

"Tossed what?" Jack asked as he got up.

Ella marched over to him and punched him squarely in the nose.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Leaving us alone to defend this bloody ship and your bloody crew!" She said. "The next time this happens, we're leaving you sorry lot to get mauled and eaten."

"Fair enough." Jack said.

"We earned a nice long break." She said. "So don't you dare ask us to do anything all voyage, or you will be very sorry, Jack, mark my words."

Anamaria nodded as they went below deck, the only sign of the battle left on deck was the blood and feathers.

* * *

><p>How was this chpater? Was it too rushed? Anyways, thank you reviewers, a.k.a <strong>moon opheliac<strong> and **bluelibellule13** ^_^

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	6. Naftes

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella and Anamaria sat in their quarters as they attempted to scrub the blood off their fore-arms and faces. "That was disgusting." Ella muttered.<p>

"Are you sure that was your first kill?" Anamaria asked.

"Yes." Ella said. "But not the first time I have seen death." She added quietly.

Anamaria looked at her oddly.

The younger girl grinned and dropped the bloody rag and shrugged. "I remember a particularly bloody raid when I was seven, I believe it was somewhere off Indonesia, and the Captain was looking for this chalice."

"A chalice?" Anamaria asked curiously.

"Something about water." She waved a hand absently. "She was a lady, but she was vicious when she needed to be."

"I've heard of Captain Banks." Anamaria said. "I'm surprised you still remember her, it's been 8 years since she died, and by the looks of you a rich family took you in."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ella asked.

"You know." Anamaria shrugged. "Didn't know your way around a ship."

Ella rolled her eyes.

"Why did you wait so long to get back into piracy?" Anamaria asked.

"Don't tell anyone." Ella said. "But I actually liked that life."

"Really?" Anamaria asked.

"Well, yes." She said with a nod.

Anamaria let out a snort.

"Point is I'm here now." Ella said. "So don't judge."

Anamaria smirked. "So why are you really here?" She asked. "Running away from a failed love?"

"I was kicked out from my home." She replied. "Because I helped aide in the escape of a one Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Really?" She asked.

"All I did was run into the soldiers." She shrugged. "Father decided that I am a pirate, and he cast me out."

"I would say I sympathize with you." Anamaria started. "But I don't, nothing wrong with learning how to live on your own." She said as she left Ella alone.

* * *

><p>It was cold, colder than Ella had ever experience as she walked up deck. All of the crew-members were wrapped in heavy coats, and the air was quiet. She walked over to Jack as he stood at the rail staring out to see, a frozen landmass was not too far away from them. "Jack, where are we?" She asked.<p>

"Very far up north." He replied. "But we're close." He said as he snapped shut the compass and stuffed it into his pocket. "Oh, and about the sirens the other day." He said looking at her. "Good job."

"Good job killing the Sirens, of good job knocking you unconscious, because that was fun." She said.

"The first one." He said, his face seemingly flinching as he did.

"Oh." She said. "You're welcome." She said. She then frowned. "Jack?"

"Yes, love?"

"What if there is no treasure?" She asked.

Everyone gasped and looked at her.

"What ever do you mean, dearest Elly?"

"Well –" She noticed the crew staring at her like she had said something blasphemous so she thought before she spoke again. "Just crazy thoughts, captain, I didn't mean it."

The crew looked relieved as they went about their jobs.

"You dodged a bullet there." Jack said.

"I guess I did." She said.

She felt something wet hit her nose, she looked up and saw white flakes falling from the heavens. "What is this?" She asked as she held out her palm, watching the white flakes melt on her skin.

"That." Jack said as he pointed to her hand. "Is snow."

"Snow?" She asked. "This is snow?"

"I just told you it is." He said, and then smirked. "Have you never seen snow before, dearest Elly?"

She shook her head and looked up again with a smile. "Snow."

"Captain!" Someone yelled from above. "Ship-wreck ahead!"

"Ship –" Ella started as she ran to the rail, her excitement about the snow gone as she joined the crew. Before them lay a wrecked ship. "That's –" She breathed out.

"Knut the Bloody's ship." Gibbs said from beside her.

"And that is only half of it." Jack said.

What they saw was the massive curl of this ships front, jutting out of the water like an iceberg, or a mountain of strange form that had to be the size of the Pearl, and if that was merely half of it. She turned to Jack. "… The treasure –" She started weakly.

"Is the ransom of three thousand kings, Eleanor." He said.

"If it sunk that monster." She said pointing at the sunken ship. "Than what –" She looked back. "How are we – Who is going to –"

"As much as your inquiry strikes me as charming –"

"Jack." She said looking at him. "Is this real?"

"There she lies at our feet." He said.

"I won't believe the gold exists until I see it." She said.

He smirked.

A group sat in the long-boat, the group consisted of Jack, Ella, the mute Mr. Cotton and his parrot, the short Marty, Anamaria, and several other men from the crew. "Keep a sharp eye." Jack said. "These are ancient waters."

Ella heard a small splash. "What was that?" She asked as she griped the musket close to her body.

They heard another not too far off in the distance.

They were so fixated on the noises that they did not see the long arm that gripped the back of Ella's coat. She let out a shriek as she was pulled over-board. "Ella!" Anamaria yelled out.

The water went still again.

"What is this, captain?" Marty asked their captain.

They heard a shrill shriek from behind them, and staining the icy water was a stream of red.

"Don't!" Jack said as one of the men made to dive in after her. "That's how they lure the bait."

"What are they?" Anamaria asked.

Jack looked at them. "Naftes." He said. "Seamen…"*

"Mermaids?" Anamaria scoffed.

"No." Jack said. "Not mermaids." He then pointed to the men. "Protect her."

They sat in a circle around Anamaria. "What is going on?" Anamaria asked.

"Naftes," Jack started. "Are vicious creatures, all of whom are male." He explained. "They always attack the women first, use them to lure the men, and slay everyone." He paused. "Sometimes they keep the women for themselves. If we dive in, that is exactly what they want from us."

"But what about Ella?" She asked angrily.

"All we can do is pray they don't harm her any more."

* * *

><p>Her whole body was numb, and the beasts had something around her mouth that kept her from choking. Whatever they were they were ugly, distorted men that had webbed hands and feet, and skin that was green and looked slimy even in the icy water. She gasped as they tossed her onto a small island within an underwater cavern, she coughed as they tore the thing off her mouth and let her turn to her stomach. It was cold, and she could smell blood… her own blood as it pooled about her. The creatures about her spoke in a strange series of clicks and growls, she curled up on her side as she began to shiver uncontrollably. 'Where am I?' She thought as she looked up and saw the creatures staring out at her, their bodies half concealed in the water. "What do you want from me?" She asked.<p>

"Why do your kind sail so far out?" Said a strangely accented voice. She turned and saw it was the largest of the group.

"We have our reasons." She replied.

"You come for the treasure." He said.

She nodded, shivering as she did. "Y-Yes."

He jumped out of the water and marched right up to her, easily picking her up by the front of her jacket. She cried out in pain as he held her at an arms length, her feet a good distance from the ground. "You shall not get it." He said.

"So – so it exists?" She asked.

"Yes." He said. "In a vault, far beneath the ground you walk upon, within it lie treasures that even your simple mind cannot comprehend."

"B-But –"

"No mortal man shall ever reach it." He said. "So your search will be in vain."

"B-but –"

"I shall give you twenty minutes to return to your companions unharmed, you will tell them what I have told you, and you will never return to these waters again."

"But –"

He threw her into the water, she let out a surprised cry as her body slapped onto it before sinking a bit. "They will follow you to make sure you do what I have just told you."

She nodded and made to swim, forced along the way by her pursuers.

* * *

><p>In the boat they silently watched the water, they heard a splash. "They're back." Marty said.<p>

Jack kept a watchful eye as they heard the sound of something floating on its own. "Bring her about." He commanded.

"Ella!" Anamaria yelled.

"Quickly!" Jack said. One of the crew-men brought her into the boat.

"She isn't breathing!" He yelled out.

"Move!" Jack said, he sat down, blocking her from their view as he crouched over her. A few moments late they heard a gasp and coughing. "To the Pearl." He said. "Now."

A while later Ella, Jack, Anamaria, and Mr. Gibbs sat in the Captain's quarters. Ella was wrapped in blankets and had a mug of steaming tea beside her. "They said that no mortal man will ever touch it." She concluded after telling them what had happened.

"We turn back." Jack said. "Back to Port Royal."

"What?" They all said.

"Elly just ain't cut out for this life." He said.

"But I fought those sirens!" She exclaimed angrily.

"If you force her to land I won't sail with ya anymore." Anamaria said.

"Two burdens gone." He said.

"Jack." Ella said. "Please."

"No." He said. "I've made up me mind." He began to walk away.

"I hate you." She said.

"Now we both know you don't mean it." He replied just before exiting the room.

"What about the treasure?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

"I ain't riskin' my life for a chunk of change."

"The ransom of thirteen kings, Jack!" Mr. Gibbs said.

"As much as it pains me." Jack said as he glanced at Ella who was glaring at him. "There are other treasures, mate." 

* * *

><p>*Naftes - Seamen... all I did was go to Google Translate and clicked 'Greek' X-D<p>

Gah, I'm not too happy with this chapter, idk. Anyways, how are you readers liking this story? I'm not getting much feedback so I'm not sure how this story is going, how do you guys like my characters (The OCs of course.) How about this bit of the story? Your reviews give me incentive to update faster and better... I'm just sayin'...

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	7. Back to Port Royal

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella let out a sigh as the port was within view. "Jack, I have no where to go if you dump me back here."<p>

"That's not true, I hear you and William are very good friends." He said.

"But, I didn't get –"

"And you won't get." He said. "You are too vulnerable to sail with us, its been years since you sailed."

"Jack –"

"This is where we say good-bye." He said as he pushed her over-board.

"Jack!" She yelled angrily as she watched the ship sail away. "JACK!"

She huffed as the distance between her and the ship only grew. "I really hate him." She grumbled as she began to swim back to shore.

She flopped onto the sandy beach and let out a sigh as she stared up at the sky. "Ella?" Someone said.

She turned her head and then sat up. "Will?" She smiled. Her smile fell when she saw he didn't return it. "Out of everyone I thought you'd at least be happy to see me." She said.

"You obviously haven't heard." He said as he pulled her up.

"What?" She asked.

"Ella, it's your father." He said.

"What happened?" She asked.

"He passed away last night." He replied. "He was ill; the Port's physician said it was pneumonia."

"Dead." She said oddly.

"I'm –"

"Take me to mother." She said.

He nodded and led her to the house, all the shutters were shut, Will let out a sigh as he knocked on the door. The door-man opened it. "Ms. Eleanor!" He exclaimed.

"Where is she?" Ella asked as she stepped into the house.

"Eleanor?" A voice gently said.

She turned and saw her mother standing in the door of her father's office a veil of black lace covered her hair as she held a handkerchief to her lips. "Mother."

"You've returned." She said, sounding sad yet happy at the same time.

"I'm so sorry." Ella said sadly.

* * *

><p>It seemed like everyone was there, at least, everyone that mattered. Ella had bathed and changed into a mourning frock. The graveyard was deep inland, in a fenced land where tomb-stones stood, the dates meticulously engraved on some, others were blank. Ella looked about her, some of them had dates that were very close to each other, only a couple of years, children. While some had many years.<p>

People killed by disease, or slaughtered by pirates, some had tragic accidents, others were killed by a friend or a family member. As Ella walked she could have sworn she could hear the pained cries of people who had been there before, weeping over a loved one. Her eyes locked onto an unmarked grave, a name crudely written in paint that had long since worn off. The less fortunate, so was their fate, unmarked graves where they lay forgotten out of memory and time, none to remember them but the people who placed then in their final resting place. Sometimes Ella wondered if her parents were in this very graveyard, but now was not the time to dwell upon that because now she walked with the people as they went to put the man she considered her father to his final resting place.

The Governor walked beside her, he managed a small smile and put his hand on her shoulder in a supportive gesture, and just behind him were Elizabeth and Will, walking hand in hand. Ella didn't know why, but that bothered her ever so slightly. She looked ahead were the glossy coffin was being carried by several soldiers in a solemn march.

"You know, Eleanor." Governor Swann said. "As his only child, you are his only heir."

"I am not his child." She said.

Annabelle looked at Ella in mild shock.

"He made that clear the day he cast me from his house, give the company to Andrew Daniels, he was father's most trusted man." She said. "But mother will receive thirty percent of the profits from the company."

The Governor nodded.

They walked to where the nobility was usually buried, an Eden within that graveyard compared to the rest of it, there the former Governor was, and various Lords and Ladies. Once the coffin was placed beside the already open grave the cleric then walked to the head of the coffin and began to speak to everybody there.

Ella, on the other hand, stared at the coffin and began to remember things that seemed to be in the distant past. She remembered when he used to take her horse-riding along the beach, and when he used to travel to England he would always return with the best presents. Even though she wasn't his daughter, he always treated her like she was, and she loved him dearly as if he were her own father.

She then heard wails and sobs, she looked up and saw that her mother had thrown herself on the coffin and was sobbing; she got up and gingerly pulled her off, letting the woman to sob on her shoulder. She watched stoically as they lowered the coffin into the grave, people walked by, dropping lilies and white roses into the grave before they began to bury it. Once it was over Ella looked down at her mother as everyone began to leave, murmuring words of condolence as they passed the pair.

Governor Swann, Elizabeth, and Will were the only people left with Ella and her mother, how let out a gasp and wiped her tears away. "Let's go home." Ella said.

She nodded and leaned on Ella as they began to walk off, as they did Will put an arm around Ella's shoulders in a friendly gesture as Elizabeth and the Governor walked with them, past all of the tomb-stones and graves, and mourning visiting families.

That night Ella sat in her old room, her things had been the same since she last left them. That was, no doubt, thanks to her mother. She squirmed a bit as her side began to hurt from the scar left from the Naftes bite. She let out a sigh as she got up and moved to her bed. The room felt alien to her, although she hadn't been gone very long but it felt unfamiliar. She missed the little nook on the pearl, falling asleep on the precarious hammock while Anamaria snored on the hammock above hers.

The next days were spent in mourning within the household, Ella watched her mother move like a phantom about the house from her bedroom, to the study, and to all the places James used to sit in, or frequent. Ella, on the other-hand preferred to stay in the library, wasting the quiet days in the solitude of her favorite room as she read tomes of history, and books of fiction, anything to keep her mind from dwelling on darker thoughts.

It was such a day where she was reading out of a very old and worn book when a servant cleared his throat at the door. "Ms. Hawthorne, you have a visitor." He said.

She looked up curiously. "Who?" She asked.

"Ms. Swann." He said.

"Oh." Ella said, lately she hadn't spoken much to her friend. "Well, let her in, please."

The woman walked in with a sympathetic smile. "Ella."

She got up and set the book aside as she hugged Elizabeth.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Good, good." Ella said as she returned to her chair.

Elizabeth saw a mountain of books beside her, all stacked precariously in a leaning tower that would soon tip over and spill all the books to the ground. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Well, yes." She said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She said.

"You look like you are here for a reason." Ella said as her attention went back to the book. "A mission."

"Well." Elizabeth said. "I am, actually here for –"

"Oh, hello Elizabeth." Said a thin Annabelle, she looked like a shell of what she used to be before her husband's death.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, how do you do?"

"Better, my dear, Ella, why don't you give her your full attention?" She lightly scolded her daughter.

Ella waved absently.

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Ella, I wanted to see if you'd be my Maid of Honor." She said.

Ella looked up. "What?"

"Be my Maid of Honor?" Elizabeth said again.

"No, I heard you the first time – really?" She asked.

"Well, yes." She said. "Ella, you're one of my only real friends – I would –"

"Ok." Ella said with a shrug. "I'll do it – wait… you're getting married… to who?"

"To Will, of course." Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Oh." She nodded. "Congratulations."

Elizabeth smiled happily. "Well, I have to leave, much to do!"

"Oh, yes… good luck."

"Thank you." She said before leaving.

Annabelle looked sympathetically at Ella. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"Dear, I always thought you fancied William."

"I don't." Ella said. "We've been friends since we both arrived here. It's just… odd."

"If you say so." Annabelle said.

"I do." Ella said.

* * *

><p>Short chapter, I know, but really, I'm not getting any feedback on this story so I'm not feeling very motivated to write X-D... that and I've started another story because I felt like it.<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	8. Meeting the Enemy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>In the following months Ella went everywhere with Elizabeth, slowly disliking her with every bit of fabric shown to her, and every cup of tea she sipped, and gown she was shoved into. Ella didn't understand why she was feeling this mutiny of emotions against the person who was easily her best friend on land.<p>

Aside from the internal battle she was waging, she missed the sea greatly, and she still hated Jack for tossing her back here.

"Ella!" Elizabeth said, sounding amused. "Are you even listening?"

"Huh?" Her head snapped over to Elizabeth.

"I was asking you if you liked this." She said holding up a runner.

"What? Oh, yes." She said.

"You didn't even look at it." Elizabeth said, sounding highly amused, but apparently oblivious to her friend's discomfort.

"It's pretty." She said.

"If you say so." She then paused. "Isn't that your merchant friend?"

She looked to where Elizabeth was looking and saw Sean, glancing into the shop. "Yes." Ella said. She made her way out and stood there.

"You're back, I see." He said stiffly.

"Yes, I am." She replied. "What do you want?"

He glanced into the shop again and then shook his head. "Nothing." He said and then walked away.

"She's getting married, you know." She said, stopping him in his tracks.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I know you've been watching her from afar, since the day we met." She said. "She getting married to Will."

Sean turned to look at her. "I care not."

"You hate Will." She said.

"He's a blacksmith."

"And you think you are better?" She asked. "Turning your own friend away when she needed you the most? Will may be a blacksmith, but he has more honor than you will ever have."

"And yet it is Ms. Swann that is marrying him." He said. "Good day, Ms. Hawthorne." He scowled and marched off.

She watched him leave. "What was that about?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nothing." She said. "Its just he isn't as good a friend as I always thought he was. Makes me miss being with Jack."

Elizabeth had an odd look on her face, it was almost suspicious. Just how much of that conversation had she heard? "Lets go." She said. "We were invited to lunch with Elaine Miller, you remember her? From Andrea's engagement party?"

"The annoying red-head?"

"Yes. Her."

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Ella asked.

"Not really." Elizabeth smiled.

Ella let out a dramatic sigh. "Very well."

She chuckled and led the girl off.

Elaine Miller was the daughter of a well known Irish tailor who was known to make suits got the Governor and the various lords and ladies of Port Royal. His daughter, Elaine, enjoyed the wealth her father had, and though se was a very gentle looking young woman, she was loud, and some people considered her obnoxious. Ella was one of those people.

Together they walked to the house, it was one of the bigger houses in Port Royal, but not bigger than Ella's house, and it was situated not too far from the beach where most of the rooms had a good view of it and the Ocean. Once at the gate a young woman let them in. "Miss Miller will have lunch with you in the garden." She said.

"Thank you." They said with small smiles.

Slowly they made their way to the garden. "Are you sure we can't run for it?" Ella asked.

"No." Elizabeth said.

Ella let out another sigh as the petite girl came into view, waving enthusiastically. "Elizabeth, Eleanor!" She called out.

"Let the fun begin." Ella said sarcastically.

A short while later the three were seated, and the gossip began, Ella kept stabbing at her food with the fork that she held in her hand.

"… And also, I am sure Danielle Blithe will be there." Elaine had been listing all the people they already knew would be attending the wedding. She then looked at Ella, "When is it your turn?"

Ella choked on her food. "I beg your pardon?" She asked, taking a sip of water.

"Well, most of the girls our age are either engaged or married, when is it your turn?" Elaine said bluntly.

Ella chuckled. "I think I'd like to see the world before I tie myself down like that." She replied.

"Oh dear, I am sorry." She said.

"Why?" Ella asked.

"That is the mindset of a woman who will probably die before she is married." She patted Ella's hand sympathetically.

Ella pulled her hand away and forced a smile. "Oh, I'm sure that won't be happening to me."

"That's the attitude." She replied.

Ella frowned, now annoyed with Elaine.

"Now, Elizabeth, you must tell me –" Ella didn't bother to listen to them through-out the rest of the visit.

It was sundown when they finally left, "You go on ahead." Ella said.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes." She said. "Its been a while since I've had a walk along the beach."

"Ok, thank you for not leaving me today." Elizabeth said.

"What sort of friend would I be if I did?" She managed a small smile.

Elizabeth smiled before leaving her.

Ella let out a sigh before walking to the beach, she had removed her shoes and held them in her hand as the walked by the waters, and the small rolling waves wet the hem of her dress. She bent down and picked up a sea-shell, it was big and the inside was shiny, its many hues glinting softly in the setting sun's light.

"Might I join you?" A voice said.

She turned to see who that voice belonged to and saw it was Will. "I was just with your fiancé." She said with a grin.

"I know." He chuckled. "I also know you've been going everywhere with her."

"Well, yes." She said. "I don't mind all that much." She knew that was a lie, in reality she was getting very bored of this wedding business.

They began to walk down the beach. "How are you?" He asked.

"I am well." She said. "You?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I am well."

She looked down at the shell before tossing it back down as they walked in silence.

"Thank you." He said.

"For?"

"Being there for Elizabeth, you know, she is always talking about how great you are."

"It's what I'm here for." She said.

He looked at her. She stopped and sat down, he sat beside her. "But you're unhappy." He said.

She glanced at him before staring at the horizon. "Of course I am." She said. "I miss the sea, and even though I hate him, I miss Jack."

He chuckled gently at this. He then put his arms on his knees. "What happened when you were out at sea?"

"I never told you." She said as if reminding herself. "Well." She added and then began to tell him about the fishing ship, and finding Jack, and then about the sirens, and the Naftes.

"Jack gave up the treasure… just like that." He said.

"Strange, I know." She said with a shrug.

"But you fought sirens." He said.

"It was nothing." She said. "And I had Anamaria; she did most of the fighting really."

He glanced at her before looking at the sky.

"I guess soon we won't be able to just sit like this, huh?" She asked.

"I guess so." He replied with a long sigh.

She leaned back on her hands and stared at the sun as it set. "I bumped into Sean today." She said. "He yelled at me, gawked at Elizabeth, and then ran off."

"That man –" He started with a frown.

"Is harmless." She said as she looked at him. "Sure, a little uptight, but before the whole mission to save Elizabeth you were just like him, you know."

"Not true."

She let out a chuckle. "I bet, if I told you I had been raised by a pirate for the first half of my life, and told you that I owe her, and still consider myself one, you would have kicked me out of the shop and never spoken to me again." She grinned. "So don't say you wouldn't. I know you too well."

He looked at her with a mock frown.

She sat up and dusted her hands off. "Is it true that Mr. Brown finally died and left you the shop?"

He chuckled. "Yes, that is true." He nodded.

"Well congratulations Master Turner. Blacksmith." She said proudly. "And Pirate, is there something you are not?"  
>"Many things." He said, sounding amused.<p>

She looked to the darkening sky. "I should go." She said. "Before mother begins to worry."

"I'll walk you back." He said as they got up.

"Thank you." She said.

The streets were lit by lanterns. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked. "So do you know where Jack is?" Will asked.

"No." She said shaking her head. "Before he pushed me off the ship I had overheard something about a key." She furrowed her brows. "And something about a Turkish prison."

"I doubt he will find a key in a prison." He said, sounding amused.

"One thing we should know by now, is _never_ question Jack Sparrow… _ever_."

He chuckled. "True."

Once they got to the house he smiled. "See you later El." He said.

"Yeah." She said as she watched him leave. "Good night."

* * *

><p>Annabelle let out an annoyed sigh as she sat on Ella's bed. "You're a pirate! You should have knocked the girl unconscious and taken the boy for yourself!"<p>

She chuckled and glanced in the mirror as one of the maids fixed her hair. Her mother had changed since the funeral that had happened just a little bit over a year ago. "Mother, that is not how I do things, I am not a rogue, I am a lady."

Annabelle huffed.

"Is this really for me, or do you just want a son in law who is easy on the eyes?"

The much older woman chuckled. "More the former, but the latter is not a very bad idea."

Ella smiled gently. "I don't know." She said. "Maybe you can find me someone who is just as nice."

"I doubt it." She replied.

"There you go miss." The maid said.

"Thank you." Ella said. She got up and let out a long sigh.

"You look beautiful, dear." Annabelle said.

She managed a smile. "I'll see you at the wedding." She said.

"Of course."

They heard a crack of thunder. "A storm is coming." She stated before she left.

At the fort servants were setting tables, and the china Elizabeth had chosen, the Orchestra was tuning their instruments, and Governor Swann was speaking to the same cleric who had spoken at James' funeral. "My Lords." She said with a curtsy.

"Eleanor, you look lovely." He said. "Elizabeth is through there." He pointed to a door.

"Thank you." She smiled before walking off.

She entered a room and Elizabeth sat waiting in a shift. "Are you waiting for me?" She asked.

"I don't know who else I would be waiting for." Was the reply.

She grinned and shut the door behind her. "Let's do this."

A while later Ella had let down the last curl and placed a garland of flowers to her hair, attached to the garland was the veil. Despite herself Ella smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said. She then looked up. "Ella, are you fine with this?" She asked.

Ella looked confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because, I know you are Will's best friend." She said. "And he is yours, and I know that you love him dearly."

Ella felt her cheeks heat up. "What?" She asked.

"Like a brother… don't you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh." Ella turned around. "Yes, he has been my closest friend and confidante ever since I set foot here." She looked at Elizabeth. "I'll have to adjust, but I will be fine."

Elizabeth didn't look like she quite believed her, but smiled anyways.

They heard a crack of thunder. "The storm is getting closer." Ella commented as she wove some flowers into her already made hair. "Let's go." She said.

The guests were waiting, and they were all murmuring at how beautiful Elizabeth looked. Everyone was there, Ella noted, everyone but Will. Once they reached the altar put there for the ceremony Elizabeth waited, and waited, despair settled in as another crack of thunder brought rain. The guests all ran for cover, hiding from the rain. Ella, in her light-blue gown that was slowly turning to navy crouched down beside Elizabeth. "We have to get up."

"He'll be here." She insisted. "He loves me, doesn't he?"

"Of course he does."

"Then why didn't he come?" She asked.

As if on que they heard marching, soldiers burst in, and with them they have a shackled Will. Elizabeth dropped her bouquet and ran to him.

Ella, on the other hand slowly got up, looking around anxiously as a soldier grabbed her arm and led her to the group, all the while Governor Swann was trying to get to them. "Make way, let me through. How dare you! Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?"

Ella didn't know who he was talking to, until her gave fell on a man who was shorter than her, he wore a cape and tricorn hat. "Governor Weatherby Swann. It's been too long."

"Cutler Beckett?" The Governor asked.

Ella froze as she stared at the man, stared into the face of a murderer, the man who murdered Isabella Banks. The man she had sworn to kill for revenge. Her target.

"It's lord now, actually." He said with a smirk that repulsed the girl.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man!" The Governor cried out.

"In fact I do. Mr. Mercer...a warrant for the arrest of one William Turner." He said, signaling to the man who was beside him. He took the parchment and handed it to Governor Swann.

"This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" He exclaimed.

"Oh is it, that's annoying, my mistake. Arrest her." He said, signaling the soldiers to shackle her.

"On what charges?" Elizabeth demanded as they tore her away from will.

"Ah, here's the one for William Turner. And I have another one here for a James Norrington, is he present? How about a Miss Eleanor Hawthorne." He asked to everyone there.

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago." Governor Swann said.

"I don't believe that's the answer to the question I asked –"

"Here I am." She said.

Elizabeth and Will looked surprised to hear so much hatred in her voice. Yet it seemed deep rooted, and full of pain.

To take Beckett's attention off Ella, Will chose to speak up. "Lord Beckett, in the category of questions not answered..."

"We are under the jurisdiction of the king's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with." Elizabeth said, interrupting him.

"The charge...is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the crown and empire and condemned to death, for which the..." Governor Swann said, reading off the warrant.

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death. Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow." Beckett said coolly.

"_Captain._" The three corrected him.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth said.

"Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might." Beckett said with a Cheshire grin.

* * *

><p>New chapter, motivation comes from my Nee-San, thank you for your review, it makes my want to write. =]<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	9. To find a Pirate

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella and Will were separated from Elizabeth and taken to an office. There the soldiers led them through doors into a grand office that overlooked the bay.<p>

"Lord Beckett, the prisoner as ordered, sir." The Soldier said.

"Those won't be necessary." He said pointing to will. "However, keep hers." He then gestured to Ella before turning back to Will. "The East India Trading Company has need of your services. We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transaction with out mutual friend Captain Sparrow."

Will glanced at Ella's shackled hands, then her face that was sent in a deadly calm expression. "More acquaintance than friend, how do you know him?" He said as he looked at Beckett.

"We've had dealings in the past. And we've each left our mark on the other." He stated while picking a poker from the fire, its end was marked with a P. "Mercer." He started.

Mercer grabbed the poker and then walked over to Ella. "This way Miss Hawthorne." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Let us leave Lord Beckett and Mr. Turner to speak in peace." He said with a vile grin.

The soldiers grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the room, Mercer tipped his hat and left.

"What mark did he leave on you?" Will asked, worried about his friend as she was no longer in his sight.

"By your efforts Jack Sparrow was set free. I would like you to go to him and recover a certain property in his possession." Beckett said as he walked to his desk. Will looked to the door as he heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. "Don't mind them." Beckett said with what could be a smirk.

Will regained his composure. "Recover? At the point of a sword?"

Behind the doors Ella was clutching at her arm as best as she could with shackled arms. "Why?" She gasped.

"You think we don't know who you are? Eleanor Banks?" Mercer asked as he brandished the poker a bit too close to her face, she shied away and looked to the floor.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She muttered meekly.

She hissed as the hot metal brushed against her jaw, leaving a tiny burn there. "Lord Beckett wants to talk to her." Mercer spat as he left her alone. The soldiers grabbed her again and practically carried her into the office.

Will turned and saw Ella clutching her arm, there was a burn on her jaw, and she looked like she had been struggling. "Ah, Miss Hawthorne." Beckett said. "Or shall we say Banks."

"What do you want from me?" She spat. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"But you are planning to, aren't you?" He said with a smirk. He then turned to the soldiers. "Leave us."

Will was sitting down as he watched Ella glare at the soldiers, she swung her fists, smashing the soldiers in their noses with the metal before she ran to Beckett and wrapped the iron chain around his neck. "Then I will just get it over with." She spat. "You vile little man."

"Ella –" Will started.

"Its ok, Mr. Turner, I was expecting something like this to happen, after all, the woman who raised her was not unlike her." Beckett smirked. Ella felt a cold blade's tip positioned to her throat. "Your death will be far swifter, and less noticed Miss Banks, I assure you."

"If I take you with me, I won't care." She said.

Mercer had entered to this and aimed his pistol to her head. "Think wisely of this, Miss Banks."

"Ella, let go." Will said.

She looked at him and then let out a sigh, letting Beckett go. "See, even the wildest of animals will listen to someone." Beckett said. "But since you are here, Ms. Banks, why don't I fill you in on the quest Mr. Turner has agreed to take?"

"I don't care." She said.

"Really?" He said. "Because it will insure your freedom. Here I am, giving you an option, if you stay you will hang tomorrow, if you go you will be hanged on a later date, what is your choice?"

She glared at him and then looked at Will who seemed to be telling her to avoid the noose. "What is it you were telling Will?" She grumbled.

"Ah." He said. "I knew you couldn't say no to Mr. Turner." He circled Ella. "My proposition was, if you find Jack Sparrow, and deliver something of his to me, then Mr. Turner and his fiancé will go free, and you can die a martyr for them."

She looked at him. "Dying is not a good bargaining chip for me." She said. "How do you know I won't just run off after we left the Port?"

"Ah." He said. "This is where I use leverage."

"I don't understand." She said.

"Bring her in." Beckett said.

Annabelle was brought in, her hands in irons. "Ella!" She gasped.

"Let her go!" Ella yelled angrily.

"I will." He said. "If you bring me Jack Sparrow."

"Despicable man." She said. "You will not detain her."

"No, I think Lady Hawthorne deserves more respect than being thrown into a cell, she will be escorted to your estate, and be under home arrest until you return, if you run she will hang in your stead." He put his hand on his desk. "Escort the ladies to their home, and see to it that Miss Banks does leave with Mr. Turner."

Ella glared at Beckett as she was dragged away by the soldiers.

Once they were at the house Ella went up to her room to fish for something to change into. "Take these." Annabelle said. "They were your fathers."

She turned and saw Annabelle holding up a blue vest and white shirt. She then looked up at her. "I'm sorry I involved you in this." She said.

"Apologize if I am hung." She replied. "Put these on and go."

Ella nodded and took the clothes, putting them on and pulling on a pair of her own breeches, once she was fully dressed she put on a worn coat and grabbed James' old cutlass that hung uselessly in his office. She then turned to see Annabelle watching her, trying to keep a strong disposition as she watched her foster daughter walk about absent mindedly as she took as little as possible.

"Be safe, mother." Ella said as she hugged her tightly.

"I should be telling you that." She said with a small smile. "Ella, I know it appeared that he didn't, but your father loved you very much."

Ella blinked, not really believing what she was hearing. "Mother, if that were true, he would have never cast me out the way he did. But I appreciate that you –"

"Sometimes parents do things because they love someone very much." Annabelle said. "That night he went back to find you, but he couldn't… Ella – he really did love you."

Ella let out a sigh and hugged her again. "Thank you."

She smiled at Annabelle before turning and walking out the door, past the soldiers who stood at the door. She could see Will waiting at the gate for her. She let out another sigh and ran down the pathway for him. "Remind me to punch Jack when we see him?" She asked.

"If we see him." He corrected.

"We will." She said.

They walked to the docks. "So, where first, Mr. Turner?" She asked.

"Tortuga." He stated simply.

"I've never been there." She said.

"You haven't?" He looked surprised.

"But I know someone who will take us half way, all the way if we're lucky."

"Captain Williams?" He asked.

She spotted the man. "Aye, Captain Williams."

* * *

><p>The captain oversaw his crew's work as they readied their ship to set sail again. "Captain Williams!" A voice called out.<p>

He turned. "Well if it ain't Tiny." He said.

"Tiny?" Will asked, almost looking amused.

"Tiny!" One of the crewmembers called out. "We all thought the pirates got you!"

"Looks like I win the bet." Another crewmember said, sounding very smug.

Ella looked amused. "Well, Captain, my friend and I need passage."

"I am too old to go there twice in such a short amount of time." He said.

She smiled. "It's been over a year."

"Exactly."

"Please." She said with a small pout.

"Don't do that or the men will get suspicious." He said. "And fine."

"Thank you, this is my friend William Turner." She gestured to Will.

"I hope he, too, is not a woman in disguise."

She chuckled. "No, does he look like he is?"

"You can never tell these days. Welcome aboard the Luna Mr. Turner and Mr. Tiny."

Ella rolled her eyes and went to grab a crate from one of the crew members before walking up the gang-plank.

The ship cast off later in the day.

They had sailed well into the night, Ella had learned from Captain Williams that they would be casting their nets early in the morning and should be in vicinity of Tortuga before then. So the men were littered on deck and below as they slept, some snored louder than others. She sat on the rail and stared out to sea, it was a calm night and all of the stars were out.

"Can I see your hand?" Will asked as he sat beside her.

She wordlessly held out her arm, he pushed back the sleeve to reveal the 'P' that Mercer has burned onto her skin. "It was bound to happen." She said. "I should have just killed him when I had the chance."

"Kill –"

"I told you." She said. "That I am here to seek revenge for my fallen captain. The man I want to kill is Cutler Beckett." She took her hand away.

"Then why are you here?" He asked.

"Because, I will not let him kill another woman I consider a mother." She said.

He looked at the sleeping men. "Today, when you attacked Beckett." He said. "I have never seen you like that before."

"No one has." She replied. "I have learned from a very young age to walk around with two faces. One I reserve for my enemies, the other for those I care about." She grinned. "I may have been brought up by a pirate, but she was a lady. And she made sure I was one as well."

He smiled gently.

She looked at him. "We will find Jack." She said. "And save Mother and Elizabeth."

He put an arm around her shoulder and nodded. "Just because you said so, I am sure we will."

It was early in the morning, and the sun had not yet risen, the sky was a very cold shade of blue and the men readied the nets, huffing and puffing small clouds of mist as they worked. Ella and Will looked at Captain Williams. "I can't take you any further than this." He stated.

"But it's a long way to Tortuga." Will reasoned.

"Don't you have a long boat?"

"No, but we have a raft."

The two looked at each other then back at the captain and nodded. "We'll take it."

"She's waiting for you." He said.

They nodded and made their way to the rail. "Thank you again, Captain Williams." She said.

"Good luck on your quest." He said. "Whatever it is."

She smiled before following Will down the side of the small ship to a raft that was floating, ready for them with two oars. They each grabbed one and then sat down as they began to paddle. "So where do we start?" She asked as the ship grew smaller and smaller into the distance as they paddled on.

"It's still early in the morning." He said. "I assume we'll be there as the sun is rising, if that is so then the city will no doubt be asleep from a long night of –" He glanced at Ella before interrupting himself. "So we will start along the shoreline. There will probably be fishers there. Or merchants… we'll ask everyone we can."

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She smiled.

"You have never been to Tortuga before?"

"Captain never let me go with them." She said. "Why?"

He let out a long sigh. "Just stick with me and you'll be fine."

"… ok."

Before long they had finally reached the shore, they sat on the sand a bit to rest their aching arms before getting up and walking to a man who was sitting by an empty bottle of rum and what looked like a sheep's skin. "You there." Will said. "Have you seen Jack Sparrow?"

"Jack Zparrow?" The drunken man asked, and then scratched his balding head. "I ain't zeen 'im, but I fink you mi' find 'im in de pubz." He said heavily. "You ain't got any rum on ya 'ave ya?"

Will shook his head, grabbed Ella's wrist and led her away as quickly as her legs would let her. "That was interesting." She stated.

"That is not even a taste of what Tortuga has to offer." He replied dryly.

"How exciting." She said sarcastically.

"Yes. Exciting."

"There's someone over there." She said pointing to the distance.

He squinted. "We won't ask him." He said.

"Why?"

"Just trust me." He said pulling her along into the city.

She looked about at the bodies strewn in the streets, all rum-soaked, and filthy, the stench assaulted her as they walked quickly. "Where are we going?" She asked.

He was silent as they walked past sleeping pirates and their companions; it all filled Ella with disgusted fascination to see all of this as she had never been to a place quite like Tortuga. They passed the crumbling buildings to a street full of vendors and stalls that looked temporary. She imagined they only got business in the morning.

Will steered her over to a stall selling various trinkets that looked questionable. "Have you seen Jack Sparrow?" Will asked the vendor.

"Captain Jack Sparrow?" The man said as he scratched his beard. "Ain't seen him in a year, he don't come to these parts, you know?"

"I can imagine." Will said.

"If you want my advice, I say you wait 'til the city is up." He said. "And then in the morrow, bright and early, as the fishermen before they leave, that's your best bet."

"Thank you." Will said.

She tried to keep up with him as he pulled her along again. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"An Inn." He said.

"But I want to explore." She said.

"No you don't." He said.

"But the island is so big!" She said.

"And it's crawling with pirates." He replied.

"But it can't be that bad." She said.

He looked at her. "Ella, we are here on a mission to find Jack, not to go gallivanting about an island you have never been to." He said; it came out a bit too harshly than he intended.

She frowned. "Fine." She said as she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "What now?"

He let out a sigh and then looked around. "I think we should listen to that vendor's advice, and go to an inn, maybe rest up, and then when it is sundown we can continue with our search."

"You lead." She said as she gestured to the street.

They walked in silence as they reached a building that was as decayed as the rest of the buildings on the island. Once inside they say the interior was not as horrid as the exterior, but rather there was a comfortable vibe in the air, and Ella could plainly see that this was a respectable sort of establishment. "Stay here." Will said before leaving to speak with a man who sat lazily at a desk.

She stared about the room and noticed that though everything was worn, it was well cared for. The rugs were clean, the hardwood floors shone, and the furniture was clean, frayed in some places, but clean.

"I got us a room." Will said. "This town is dangerous, and I don't care how respectable this establishment is, I don't trust the –"

"Yes." She said. "We got that."

He let out a sigh and nodded. "Let's go."

They climbed up the stairs to a landing where there was a corridor that had seven doors on each side; Will led her to the one at the end and opened the door. Like the rest of the inn it was worn but clean, with two beds, a couch, a desk that looked like it had been donated from a ship, and a mirror. It was not much, but it would suffice for the pair. Ella walked to the window and stared out it, seeing that they got a good view of the ocean.

"Ella." He said. "I don't understand why you are treating this like it is a vacation."

"I am not." She said.

"Then pardon my misinterpreting you wanting to gallivant –"

"Just forget it." She said. "I guess I was just caught up with being somewhere new." She looked at him. "What's the plan?"

He let out a sigh and sat on the couch as she sat on the window-sill. "We'll leave when the sun is down; usually the city is at its liveliest after dark." He said. "We'll go from pub to pub, asking if he's in any of them – and I know a couple of people we could ask if all else fails."

"Or we could try Turkey." She offered.

"Knowing Jack, he would be in China now if he could." He said.

"We could try there as well." She said.

He managed a small smile. "I don't think so."

She shrugged and looked out the window again. "Just a thought."

He leaned back into the couch and let out another sigh. He saw her stare down at her branded arm and scratch at the scar a bit. He finally decided to speak up. "We should rest up." He said. "It's going to be a long night."

"Okay." She said quietly.

* * *

><p>That night the pair left the inn and made their way to the town, Ella could hear rowdy laughter and music. "So it begins." She stated.<p>

"I know these two wenches that slapped Jack the last time we were here." He said as they entered a tavern. "Stay close to me, and don't make eye contact with anyone."

She chuckled nervously. "You make them seem like animals."

He paused and nodded. "That would be accurate."

She gripped his sleeve and followed him in. Once inside all of her senses were assaulted, the low lighting suddenly affected her eyes, and the smell was unbearable, and all around there was loud yelling, and laughter, and music, and she could practically taste the rum in the air.

Will walked with steady footsteps, all the while avoiding bullets, and flying bottles, and knives. She spotted two women standing in the corner, batting their eyes at drunken men as they passed. The blonde noticed Will and nudged her red-headed friend. She then noticed Ella clinging to his arm and they looked slightly put out.

"Hello." He said as he approached them.

"Hello there." The blonde said.

"I'm looking for Jack Sparrow, have you seen him as of late?" He asked.

They looked at each other. "Jack Sparrow?" She asked.

"Haven't seen him in a month." The red-head nodded.

"When you see him, can you give him this message?" The blonde said and then slapped Will so hard his face turned to Ella who let out a gasp.

"It's not so amusing when I am the one receiving the slap." He muttered as he massaged his jaw. He paused and saw that Ella was not beside him. Frantically he turned around only to find her laughing with an old man who was drinking out of a mug. She herself had a mug, how she had suddenly appeared there was beyond him.

He walked over to them. "Ella?"

"Oh, hello Will." She said. "This gentleman is Mr. Elphias." She introduced. "And he said he heard a tale of Jack Sparrow."

"Aye, that I did." The old man nodded almost drunkenly.

Will sat down and leaned on the table. "What have you heard?"

"About less than a year back I 'eard 'e was somewheres in Turkey." He said. "Getting' somthin' out of the prison, as it were."

"What exactly?" Will asked.

"No one rightly knows." He replied. "Some say it is a key to a grand treasure, others say 'e was 'idin' from the navy."

"That's right." Ella said. "James is still trying to catch him." She frowned. "But didn't he lose him in the hurricane?"

"I ain't 'ear anythin' bout no 'urricane." He said as he took a deep drink from his mug. "Now listen, and listen closely, Jack Sparrow 'as a price on 'im 'ead, you best be keepin' away from 'im."

"We can't do that." Will said.

"Then good luck on yer wild goose chase." He said with a dismissive wave.

"Thank you, sir, for your time." Ella said as she got up.

They asked more people in the taverns, going from one to the other until they could not take it anymore.

The sky was beginning to turn light as they made their way to the beach. Ella sniffed at her sleeve, "I smell like rum and vomit." She stated.

"We both do." He replied with a sigh as they plopped down onto the sand to wait.

She put her hands on the sand, running her fingers through it as she combed out rocks and shells. Once the sun was up they did as well and walked down the beach only to find a man getting ready to sail off in a small row-boat. "Hello there Sailor." Will said.

"Good morning to you." He said with a smile.

Ella grinned and offered a small wave.

"We're looking for Jack Sparrow." Will started.

"Have you seen him, or heard of him?" Ella added.

The man grinned. "Singapore, that's what I heard; drunk with a smile on his face. Sure as the tide, Jack Sparrow will turn up in Singapore."

"Thank you." Will said as he and Ella walked away.

"I honestly wouldn't put it past him." She said. "Singapore."

"Let's try the docks." Will said. "We might be lucky there."

"Let's go." She agreed.

Once there they saw men readying their ships to sail, the closest man was slightly questionable looking. Ella suddenly missed the good-natured man from the beach. "Good morning!" Ella greeted, in hopes this man would be just as agreeable.

"Good Mornin' to ye." He said with a smile that made Ella want to hide behind will.

"We're looking for Jack Sparrow -" Ella started.

"Captain Jack Sparrow? Owes me four doubloons. I heard he was dead." The man said.

"Oh." She said.

"You're looking for Jack Sparrow?" Said a man who was mending his nets.

"Aye." Will nodded.

The man looked slightly amused as they walked over to him. "Cannot say about Jack Sparrow. But there's an island just south of the straits where I trade spice for delicious long pork. Cannot say about Jack. But you'll find a ship there, a ship with black sails."

"Long Pork?" Ella questioned with a slight grimace. Will looked at her curiously as she managed a grin. "Man flesh." She explained.

"Will you take us to the Pearl?" Will asked the man.

"Certainly, it is on our way." He said.

"Finally." Ella said. "We have a lead to follow."

Will nodded in agreement. "When do you cast off?"

"When it is nigh noon." He replied.

"Then we will return then, we have things to take care of." Will said as he took Ella's wrist in his hand.

"Be here, because we do not wait for anyone."

"Understood." The two said before running off.

They returned to the Inn and grabbed whatever of their belongings they had left there and then went downstairs to return the key before leaving. At noon they were aboard the ship as the sails above dropped, and the anchor was lifted onto the deck. "We're on our way." Will said as they stood at the rail, watching Tortuga grow farther and smaller the more the ship sailed on.

"We'll find Jack." Ella said. "And save Mother and Elizabeth.

* * *

><p>I want to thank <strong>bluelibellule13 <strong> for your amusing review, it made me chuckle, as I have noticed a lot of things about the name Will, for example 'Fire at will' might be a little awkward to say if he is around, no?

So here's a new chapter, reviews would be lovely so I know what you readers think because I love feedback, especially since it helpd me improve as a writer

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	10. Finding Jack

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella found out that the men on the ship were all very polite and gentle. Some of them spoke French. A language Ella was forced to learn when she was nine. The voyage did not take very long before they got to an Islandwhere the Pear was unmistakably on the beach. "How did it get there?" She asked as she walked to Will and the Captain.<p>

"Most likely pulled in by the tide." He replied.

"Oh." She said.

He looked at them again and nodded to the Island. "My brother will take you ashore."

"You're brother –" She wondered aloud and saw a man waiting by the ladder, he was one of the men she had conversed with many times through-out the length of the Voyage.

"Thank you for bringing us this far." Will said.

"'twas nothing." He replied with a grin. "Our route is past this island anyways."

"Good luck!" Ella exclaimed as they went to the ladder that led down to an awaiting long-boat.

Once the three were in Ella grinned at the brother as he rowed. The Island loomed ever closer, until he suddenly stopped. "What's wrong?" Will asked. "The beach is right there."

"Ne bougeais pas, c'est trop dangereux." He replied.

"What?" Will asked, sounding somewhat irritated.

"He said it's too dangerous to go any further." She said.

"Je ne peux, c'est trop dangereux." He said.

Ella got up and let out a sigh. "I guess we have to swim." She said and then dove off the side of the boat.

"J'avais le dit. Bon voyage, monsieur" He said as Will cast him an annoyed yet curious glance before diving off into the ocean as well.

The pair swam until they reached the shore. "Since when do you speak French?" He asked as they coughed and spluttered.

"Since I was nine." She said. "Father forced me to learn, so that one day I would take over the company." She looked up at the ship. "There she is, but where is Jack?" She got up and walked to the ship, staring at the barnacle covered hull.

"Jack!" Will yelled out. "Jack Sparrow!" He paused. "Marty! Cotton! … Anybody?"

She looked to the jungle. "In there?" She questioned.

"They are not at the beach." He reasoned.

"Into the jungle it is then." She said as they began to enter it.

Ella had never been to a jungle before, so she stared about with avid interest, she was so consumed with her surroundings that she did not notice that Will was no longer beside her. In fact, she could not hear him anywhere. "Will?" She called out.

But only silence responded, somewhere a monkey squealed as it rushed from tree to tree, causing several fruits to fall to the ground. "Will?" She cried out.

A twig snapped somewhere behind her. She quickly drew her sword and circled herself rapidly, her eyes watchful and wary. "Will?" She said, this time more quietly. "Is that you?"

Another twig snapped from the opposite direction.

"Will, this isn't funny, if that's you – come out." She said.

Everything was silent again, but somewhere she heard leaves rustle, and the brook that flowed lazily behind her splashed. "Whoever you are – come out!" She yelled out.

She felt a sting in her neck; she let out a gasp before she blacked out.

* * *

><p>When she finally came to she was nestled in what looked like bones, she let out a gasp as she backed away, her legs slipping down, causing her to fall, she let out a surprised shriek when she found herself staring down a deep ravine. Her eyes widened. "I'm going to die!"<p>

"Pull her up!" A voice said.

She felt two people pull her up and set her the way she was before, once she was able to focus she saw the was in a massive hanging ball-cage with the crew of the Pearl, and Will. "Did we find Jack?" She asked groggily.

"Yes." He said. "But now we are here."

She saw that the people who had helped her were Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Gibbs. "What happened?"

"We'll explain later." Will said. "We have to get out of here."

"I can't feel my body." She stated simply.

"It's whatever they use in those darts." Gibbs said.

"We have to get out of here." Will said.

"Are those drums?" She asked numbly.

Will let out a sigh and looked to the other ball-cage that had the other half of the crew. "We have to swing to the gorge wall." Will said pointing to the cliff.

"How can we swing with Ms. Ella in a loopy state?" Gibbs asked. "She'll just get knocked around."

Will let out a sigh and managed to pull her up. "Hold on." He instructed her.

She nodded and held to the bone bars. "Let's go!" He yelled out.

Sometime as they were swinging Ella regained feeling in her body and joined in, they finally were able to grab roots that jutted out of the rocky cliff.

"Put your legs through and start to climb!" Gibbs instructed.

"Come on men." Will said. "It'll take all of us to crew the Pearl!"

"Actually," Someone started from the other cage. "You won't need everyone. 'Bout six would do!"

They looked at each other, Ella shrugged. "Let's go."

"Hurry!" Will yelled out. "Give it all you got!"

"Come on!" Ella could hear Marty yell.

As they climbed Will suddenly began to try and stop them, his hand falling on Ella's to stop her from grabbing another root. "Stop!" He hissed. "Stop!" He started to wave his free hand to the others to stop them. "Stop!"

They all saw one of the locals crossing a bridge; Ella squinted oddly at the person as it stopped. She then noticed the other cage slowly climb. "What is he doing?" She questioned quietly.

They held their breaths as they heard a terrified shriek. "Snake!"

The men all let go and the cage swung back so quickly and fell until the rope snapped sending them crashing to the far down river.

"MOVE!" Will yelled.

They resumed climbing as the person ran off. "I think he saw us." Ella said.

"It is wonderful to see that your humor is still in tact." Will said sarcastically.

She grinned as they finally made it to the top of the cliff.

"Find a sharp rock to cut the rope!" Will instructed.

They did as commanded but could not get out of the cage. "We're going to have to roll it." Ella said.

Will shook his head. "Lift the cage! Hurry!"

"Lift the cage like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs instructed.

"If this were another situation I would be very offended." Ella commented but did as everyone else was doing and ran with them.

As they ran they all tripped over a log that sent them flying into the air, the island inhabitants were running after them. While the men yelled, Ella laughed loudly at the sensation of suddenly flying into the air, and then suddenly crashing to the ground as the ball rolled on and fell right into a gorge. The cage had opened up and let the group swim out of it and past the flying spears as the people threw them down.

They follow the water to a river which narrowed into a stream that ended onto the beach, they all got up and stumbled as they ran to the Pearl, the tide had come in, and the ship looked just about ready to cast off. Ella saw two men she had never seen before.

"Well done." Gibbs said.

"We done it for you! Knowin' you'd be comin' back for us." The short man said.

Ella pushed past them and climbed aboard the ship as she watched the others run around. She gasped as a monkey landed beside her on the rail, it wore a little white shirt and a red vest. "Aren't you the cutest." She said as she let it jump onto her shoulder. She then looked up to the distance. "Hey look!" She called out as she pointed. They all turned to see Jack running towards them, their eyes all widened when they saw the horde of people running just behind him.

"Cast off those lines!" Mr. Gibbs yelled.

It was all very amusing for Ella to watch Jack run, his arms flailing in every direction possible, his legs seemed to precede the rest of his body, which – despite the situation – seemed very comical.

He finally made it to the ship and climbed up as the people stopped and groaned, she saw someone of them held forks and knives, leading to the assumption that these people were in fact cannibals.

"Alas! My children." He said as he gestured to them. "This is the day that you will remember as the day you almost –" A wave crashed over him, spraying Ella who had been near him the whole time. "…Captain Jack Sparrow." He grumbled as he jumped on board.

"Let's put some distance between us and island, and head out to open sea." Mr. Gibbs said.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible" Jack replied.

Mr. Gibbs looked confused. "Uh, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain."

Jack looked about him. "I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs, now where is that monkey? I want to shoot something." He said as he pulled out his pistol.

The monkey launched itself from Ella's shoulder and into the rigging above.

"Jack." Will said.

He looked down and then flinched. "Oi, I thought I pushed you overboard to go back to Port Royal. _What_are you doing here?" He asked.

"Something came up." She replied.

"Elizabeth is in danger." Will said.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on 'er? Maybe just lock her up somewhere."

Ella frowned. "Jack, if I hadn't come to find you they would have hung an innocent woman in my place." She said, casting a disappointed glance at Will.

Will walked past Ella to Jack. "She is locked up, in a prison, bound to hang for helping you!"

Jack looked distracted as he went to the helm. "There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

A frustrated Ella stomped off, figuring Will would tell everything to Jack. At least everything that concerned Elizabeth.

Later on Jack went to Ella who sat on the rail, staring out at see. "Knowing you, one would say that you are upset." He stated.

"Really?" She replied dryly. "Am I?"

Her tone made him flinch a bit.

"I am so mad at him." She said. "This whole mess – everything – all of it –" She looked at him. "Which is your fault. Is not about him and Elizabeth alone." She glared at the sea. "I am involved as well, and so is mother – and yet all _he_can think about is Elizabeth!" She said a bit too harshly.

"Ah, unrequited love." He said.

"Shut up, it's nothing like that, I am annoyed."

"Say what you may, love." He said. "But I've known enough women to know the truth."

"Were you sober then?" She asked sarcastically.

"That hurt." He said, putting a hand on his heart, feigning sadness. "But I have an answer to this whole mess." He said putting his hands on the rail. "A way out."

"I don't believe a single word you say –"

"Davy Jones." He said.

"Like I care for that –"

"Ye don't understand, dearest Elly." He said. "Once I get the heart, I can be the captain of that ship, and I can control the seas – and you, your beloved William, his beloved what's-her-face, and your dear ol' mum can live happily ever after."

She rolled her eyes and pushed him away as he slid a little too close for comfort as she jumped down.

"Oh come on." He said, with all disregard to personal space. "You can be my first mate, me and you, you and me, us, partners in crime, sailing the seas – forever –"

"I'd rather gouge my eyes out." She said pushing him away.

"Oh, come on, love." He said.

She looked around and then shoved him in the chest. "I will not double cross everyone I care for." She hissed. "Because _I_ know for a fact that 'partnering' with you _will_lead to that."

"How are you so sure?" He smirked.

"You are Captain Jack Sparrow." She replied. "It's what you do, is it not?"

"Well, yes." He said.

She looked a bit disgusted. "And I was practically born at sea, do you think I know nothing of the legend of Davy Jones? What exactly did you tell Will?"

"Whatever he wants to hear, as long as it saves his darling Elizabeth." He said.

She glared up at him. "You will _not_lead him on a hopeless chase!"

"He asked for it, I didn't give it to him."

"You sicken me." She said.

"Ouch." He said.

She rolled her eyes and pushed past him. She saw a confused looking Will standing in the distance; she only shook her head angrily and went below deck.

She sat below deck; her vest was hanging so it could dry. "Ell." Will said as he joined her.

"Hello." She said. "What is the matter?"

"You are upset." He said.

"No, am I?" She replied sarcastically.

"I don't understand –" He started.

"Maybe you will when you realize that Elizabeth is not the only innocent facing the noose." She spat.

"Forgive me for worrying about my own fiancé." He replied.

"Your fixation upon her is quite unsettling, William." She said.

"You wouldn't understand." He said.

"Right." She said coldly. "I wouldn't."

"That's not –" He started.

"What you meant?" She shook her head. She made to walk past him but he looked annoyed.

"Ella –"

"Leave me –" She gasped as he pushed her to the wall.

"Don't play innocent." He said. "Why are you really here? What is going on between you and Jack?"

She laughed. "Jack?" She chuckled. "You are funny, Will, it's nice to see your sense of humor is in tact even with that angry vein bulging in your neck."

His grip loosened.

"Jack is inappropriate." She then added. "Much like you at the moment, it seems like he has no concept of personal space." He let go of her and watched her sit on a barrel. "But your right, I do have a secret reason to be here." She shrugged. "But I won't be telling it to you any time soon."

He let out a frustrated sigh as he sat down on the ground by her feet.

"So what happened?" She asked. "We got separated in the jungle. What happened after that?"

"Well." He said. "After I realized you were not with me, I was ambushed by those cannibals." He explained. "And they used that dart drug thing that knocked you out, when I woke up I was hanging upside down on a log that they carried, and there was Jack, on a throne, wearing a necklace of toes, and a strange crown, and he acted like he didn't know me –" He then went on to tell her how he spoke that strange language, and then as then how he saw them carry her, she was thrown over someone's shoulder, and how Jack ordered for them to be taken away.

"But as we were being carried away he said, 'save me'." He paused. "Nothing very important happened after that, we were taken to the cage, and Mr. Gibbs was able to set you in a way you would not fall, and then you woke up."

She nodded. "So I didn't miss much?" She asked.

"I guess not." He chuckled.

The silence was odd, not the usual comfortable ones they were used to, but an awkward one. He looked up at her and saw that her face looked tired and upset, and did not bear that usual absent-minded smile he had seen on her face many times before. He wondered when was the last time she had that grin on her face, certainly not since she returned to Port Royal.

She let out a sigh and got up. "Where are you going?" He asked.

She looked at him oddly before walking off.

* * *

><p><strong>bluelibellule13: <strong>Then, for you, I will add a little 'Fire at Will' gag, not that I wasn't planning to ;-P And I see you too are a fangirl, eh? Jk, I'm not a fangirl, I was though! Anyways, as for your joke, I've been thinking about it since I read your review, I'm going to guess it's 'Brrr'?

Read and Review my dears! I would love to hear your voices, and it will make my day, that I am sure of =]

ALSO, I should state, that I don't know french, and the french lines are in fact from the movie (I got the script from imsdb, so I just used what they said for the french.) ANNDDD This is the 10th chapter, moving on to double digits is always a good thing!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	11. Tia Dalma

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Jack the Monkey sat on the rail, to the undead monkey it was a typical day. Annoy Jack, get shot at a couple of times, steal Ragetti's eye, gnaw at it a bit, drop it to the deck, run to Ella's shoulder, then hide up in the rigging. The monkey was content, as usual.<p>

Jack the Human, however, was not as content. He held a massive cage, finally able to get rid of that infernal monkey and its business. Ella had been tied and gagged because she loved the stupid animal, and had sworn to hide it from them. He nodded to Pintel who held a net and Gibbs who held a gun as they slowly crept on the unaware primate. They froze as it sat up and turned to look at them. Gibbs quickly shot at it, missing, it let out a shriek as it jumped up into the riggings.

"MONKEY!" Jack yelled up at it.

"RUN, JACK! RUN!" Ella yelled, she had somehow managed to slip the gag from her mouth.

"SHUT IT WOMAN!" Jack yelled at her.

Will walked out, looking confused at the noise they were making.

"Cut me loose!" Ella said.

"If you cut her loose, I swear that I will throw you overboard." Jack told him.

"Will! Cut me loose!"

"Don't do it lad." Jack said.

There was a crash. "I got him!" Mr. Gibbs yelled. "Quick, Captain! The cage!"

The monkey bit and scratched at his hands as they shoved it into the cage. "Now you may cut her loose."

* * *

><p>Ella sat in the longboat beside Will; Gibbs sat facing her, a gun in his hand. "Why is Jack so afraid of the open water?" Will asked.<p>

Gibbs looked at him as Ella looked at him as well. He let out a breath and then began to speak. "Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones." He said a bit uneasily. "A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off, and drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness." He shuddered and then paused for dramatic effect. "The Kraken!"

This caught the attention of many of the men around them. Ella's face paled. She had heard tales of the Kraken, and had seen the devastation it caused when she was six. She could still remember it vividly; a ship had run aground, so Isabella had commanded they near it to find any survivors. Ella had gone with them to explore as well when something fell from the rigging, she could remember the sheer terror she felt when she saw the faceless man that would not budge from her, and the terrified shriek that almost tore her throat. She shuddered and looked up at Gibbs as he continued to speak.

"They say the stench of its breath is like -" He shuddered and leaned in a bit closer to Will. "Imagine: The last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." He paused and then nodded to them. "If you believe such things."

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

Ella knew what they were talking about. Jack had indeed been to a Turkish prison, and what he came out with was not a key. No, it was a drawing of a key.

"Now, that's the question Jack wants answered, bad enough to go see… _her_."

"Her?" Will asked.

"Aye." Mr. Gibbs nodded.

"Who is she?" Ella asked.

"Certainly you've heard of her, child." He said. "Tia Dalma."

Ella frowned, her eyes half closing as she tried to remember, she then looked up and shook her head. "Captain once mentioned her. Said she would not let me near that 'Old psychotic barbaric crazy of a witch.'" She paused. "And those were her exact words." She then turned to look about her as they rowed up-river.

The air was close and old, it held mystery and darkness. Ella looked around rapidly as the trees grew thicker over-head, blocking out the sun the further in they went, giving the area a gloomy vibe. She then noticed a house, on the porch sat an old man on a rocking chair, around them there were people in the water watching them as they passed.

She leaned on the boat's edge and watched them as they watched through the mist. "There are so many of them." She commented.

"Aye." Mr. Gibbs said. "This is where they all end up."

"They?" She asked.

"The people who are lost." He replied. "And can't find a home to stay, this is their home."

She frowned and watched them again.

After what seemed like a while the boats stopped. Ella sat up and looked at Jack as Will helped her out of the boat. "No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before." He said with a flinch.

"It's my front I'm worried about." He replied. Ella walked past him as she curiously climbed the ladder and went to the door. Jack appeared beside her and peered into the window. "You first." She whispered as she saw a massive yellow snake twisting and writhing about lazily by the door.

He let out a sigh and stood straight as he slowly opened the door, Ella got up and followed suit. The small shack was full of odd trinkets everywhere, thinks in jars that looked like they ought not be in them, and old chests, some of them shaking unnoticeably, fangs from animals that looked to big to be real, and furs as well as dolls. Voodoo dolls. At a table sat a woman staring down at crab claws, she slowly looked up and then smiled, revealing decaying teeth, but in all Ella thought she was a beautiful woman. "Jack Sparrow." She said with a quiet laugh as she got up.

"Tia Dalma." He said with a grin.

"I always know de wind was goin' blow back to me one day." She said with another smile. She then looked to the door as Will walked in. "You." She said pointing to him as she walked over to him, her smile falling. "You have a touch of destiny about you, William Turner." She said.

"… You know me?" He asked, sounding confused.

"You want to know me?"

Jack quickly pushed Ella between them and pulled Tia Dalma away. "There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." He said. "I thought I knew you."

Ella looked at the witch oddly as she gave her a look before looking at Jack. "Not as well as I hoped." She replied. "Come."

"Come." Jack said as he waved Will over.

They sat down by her table. "What... service... may I do you? Hmmm?" She said coyly to Will. She then looked up to Jack, her demeanor changing completely. "You know I demand payment." She snapped.

"Luckily." He said. "I thought about that before-hand." He whistled and Pintel brought the cage. "Look, undead monkey!" He then shot it.

"I hate you." Ella said.

"You've said it so many times, love, I don't believe you anymore." He said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes.

Tia Dalma took the cage and let the monkey out.

"No!" Gibbs yelled. "You have no idea how long it took us to catch that."

"The payment is fair." She said.

Will pulled the cloth out from his pocket and set it on the table. "We're looking for this." He said. "And what it leads to."

Tia Dalma looked at Jack. "The Compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to dis?"

"Maybe." Jack said. "Why?"

"Ayeee..." She said with a knowing smile. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or... do know, but are loathe to claim it as your own." She sat back and gestured to the cloth. "Your key go to a chest and it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"Obviously." Ella said.

"People with nothing but revenge in their hearts should not speak." Tia Dalma said to her. Ella frowned and sat back.

Gibbs leaned over. "What is inside?" He asked.

"Gold! Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" Pintel asked.

"Nothing… bad… I hope." Ragetti said fearfully as he eyed a jar full of pickled eyes.

Tia Dalma smirked. "You know of... Davy Jones, yes? A man of de sea. A great sailor, until he ran afoul of dat which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked.

"What indeed?" She asked as she coyly put her hand on Will's.

Ella looked away with a quiet huff.

"The Sea?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

"Sums!" Pintel offered.

"The dichotomy of good and evil." Ragetti added.

Ella looked at them oddly as they said all of this. Jack, however, rolled his eyes and looked at his crew. "Women." He said.

"A woman." Tia Dalma said proudly. "He fell in love."

"No-no-no." Mr. Gibbs said. "I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

Tia Dalma looked annoyed as he said this. "Same story, different versions, and all are true. See, it was a woman, as changing, and harsh, and untamable as the sea." Ella looked at Tia Dalma again as she said this, her eyebrows dipping into a curious frown. "Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it cause 'im was too much to live wid. But not enough to cause him to die."

"You speak like someone who saw it happen." Ella said.

Will glanced at Ella before looking at the witch again. "What, exactly, did he put into the chest?"

"Him heart."

Ragetti paled. "Literally… or figuratively?"

"You idiot." Pintel said. "He couldn't li'erally put his heart in a chest!" He paused and looked at Tia Dalma. "Could he?"

"It was not wort' feeling what... small fleeting joy life brings, and so... he carved out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide de chest from de world. De keys, he keep wid him at all times." She replied.

"You knew this." Will said as he got up to look at Jack.

"I did not. I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, hey, she knew I would do something like this." Jack said as he pointed to Ella.

"Let me see your hand." Tia Dalma said as she suddenly got up.

Jack hesitantly held out his hand, she quickly grabbed it and unwrapped the bandage he had on it.

"The black spot!" Several of the men exclaimed as they turned in their spots and spat on the ground.

"My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know." Jack said with a grin.

Tia Dalma scoffed as she went through bead-doors and then returned with something in her hands. "Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow. And so you will carry land wid you…" She said as she presented him with a jar.

"Dirt. This is a Jar of Dirt." He said.

"Yes?" She said.

"Will this jar of dirt help?" He asked.

"If you don't want it, give it back." She said, sounding annoyed.

"No." He said as he hugged it to himself.

"Then it helps."

Will sat down again. "It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman."

She picked up the crab claws in her hands then shook them gently before she threw them down again.

As they got up to leave after finding out the destination Tia got up. "Wait." She said. "I have a warning."

They all turned around but her gaze was locked upon Ella.

"To walk with de burden of a love unrequited, and a heart darkened with revenge will not end well for you, chil'." She said. They all looked at her oddly.

"What do you suggest?" Ella asked.

Tia smirked. "You will not live to be old, Eleanor Ashwood."

Ella froze. "That is not –"

"That is de name you were born with." Tia Dalma said. "Dat name is truer than an of de false names you have carried all your life." She walked over to Ella. "Your truth lies with the Dutchman."

"How do you know?" Ella asked with a frown.

Tia Dalma had a mysterious smile on her face. "Just remember what I tol' you." She said.

"Come on." Will said to her as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and followed them out. "She's crazy." She muttered as she got into the boat. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"You sure?" Jack asked with a smirk.

She glared at him and leaned against the edge of the boat as they began to row out of the bayou, gloomily watching the people in the water as they left.

* * *

><p><strong>bluelibellule13: <strong>X-D I should have guessed that to be the answer.

So, heres a new chapter, reviews would be very lovely!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	12. Davy Jones

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella sat lazily by the rail. "What are you doing?" Jack asked.<p>

"You sold my best friend to that crazy witch." She replied dryly. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Scrub the deck." Jack said.

"Ha-ha… no." She said as she looked at him. "Unless you want to take a trip really soon."

"You know what I think?" He asked. "I think you're just running from the truth."

"You would know." She said as she got up. "And I'm not running, while you're planning to trick Will into going to the Dutchman, I intend to join him, see what this truth is that she was talking about."

"I thought you thought that she is, in fact, crazy." He said.

She frowned. "She told me my last name is Ashwood." She said. "Have you ever known her to be wrong?"

"No." He said as he shook his head.

She leaned on the rail and frowned. "Then I have to go."

"But, you might die." He said as he leaned in a bit too close.

"I can't die." She replied. "Because I have a promise to fulfill."

"Remember what Tia Dalma told you." He said.

"I can do something about the revenge, but there isn't much I could do about the unrequited love." She said. "So stop trying to convince me otherwise."

"I don't understand why you just don't lock him up and hit him until he loves you." He said. "Always works for me."

She let out a disgusted snort as she pushed him away. "We aren't all like you, Jack." She said as she began to walk away.

"If you really are going to the Dutchman with your dearly beloved." He said to her retreating back. "You should know that we'll be there in two days time."

She nodded before disappearing below.

* * *

><p>When they were near the location a storm had begin, and it was raining heavily. "Figures it would be raining." Ella said as she and Pintel tied a sail down.<p>

"Ain't it the truth!" He said.

She looked up and saw a ship that had run aground. She closed her eyes, remembering the incident from when she was seven. She joined Will and Jack. "That's the Flying Dutchman?" Will asked, he then frowned. "She doesn't look like much."

"Neither do you." Jack said. "Do not underestimate."

"Must have run afoul a reef." Mr. Gibbs said hurriedly.

"No." She replied; her teeth gritted as she felt the rain-water drip off her nose and chin. "That isn't the Dutchman."

"What?" Will said.

Jack rushed to stand between them. "What she means is, that can't be the Dutchman." He said as he waved his hands about. "Right? Elly?"

She walked to the rail, her eyes fixated on the ruined vessel before them.

"So what's your plan?" Jack asked Will.

"I row over; search the ship until I find your bloody key." He replied.

"And if there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path."

"I like that plan, simple, easy to remember. Elly?"

She looked over to them. "Whatever my truth is." She said. "I won't stop until I find it."

"Ella – you can't go –"

"I am going." She said. "If you want me to or not."

"And if you get hurt?" He asked.

"You worry about saving Elizabeth." She said as she climbed down into the long-boat.

"Your chariot awaits you, sire!" Ragetti called out before laughing like a maniac. She shivered in the coat as Will finally got in and began to row to the ship.

She turned her head and saw them douse the lamps, she was suddenly afraid and her shivering worsened.

"El.?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine." She lied. "Just keep going."

"El –"

"Just keep going!" She practically yelled at him.

He nodded and resumed rowing. Once they were at the ship he got out and then held out his hand to help her out. She pushed it away and got out herself.

She walked around, investigating, the situation to reminiscent of when she was younger. She was terrified. She looked about her and then heard Will yell out in surprise. She ran and froze. The man did not have a face. "This is just like –" She muttered.

"El?" He asked.

"They're coming." She said quietly.

"They –"

A massive ship emerged from the water beside the wrecked one. She looked about as mutated men, neither human nor fish appeared all around them. "Down on your marrowbones and pray!" Someone yelled out.

They quickly drew their weapons and began to fight the fish-men crew. As they were fighting Will pushed Ella behind him and dipped his sword into some oil before hitting it against a lit lamp, causing the blade to light up. "Get back!" He yelled.

Ella locked blades with one of the crew members as he tried to bring his blade down upon her. She glared up at the much larger creature that seemed to be a cross between a man and a shark. He pushed her back and she tripped over Will who lie unconscious on the ground. "Will!" She said as she tried to wake him up.

He stirred when they began to line up the survivors. Ella gasped as they grabbed her arm painfully and dragged her, forcing her to sit like the others, they then brought Will on her other side. She was terrified, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as the rain finally stopped. The air was still cold, and Ella stared past her stringy hair as it fell before her eyes, staring at the crewmen as they walked to-and-fro. She felt a hand gently clasp her trembling ones; she turned her head to look at Will who was not looking at her.

They heard rhythmic thumping. At first Ella thought it was her heart that felt like it was about to explode out of her chest as it hammered. She then looked up and saw the sailor that most feared, those who didn't were too stupid to know what or who he was.

With a hulking figure of a man that had been mutated into an octopus, with a lobster-claw for one hand, the other seemed to be normal, but it bared the same quality of his face and beard, and one leg, the other was a peg. He walked with steady foot-steps, a man who knew the seas and practically owned them. He was the sea.

He was Davy Jones.

Oh yes, she had heard tales of this captain, and had seen him herself when she was seven, why Isabella had spoken to this captain was beyond Ella. But all she knew was that he terrified her then, and he still had that effect upon her.

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished. I can offer... an escape-uh." He spoke to one of the crewmen that had been lined up. His voice was hypnotic, and Ella could see why so many men had been tempted to forestall their fates and join him.

"Don't listen to him!" A brave man said. She looked to him and saw that he had a rosary in his hand. A religious man, she knew he would not last very long, not in the presence of this devil.

Davy Jones walked over. "Do you not fear death?" He asked curiously.

"I'll take my chances, sir." He replied.

"To the depths." He said simply.

Ella looked away as she heard a squelch and then a splash. She let out a shuddering sigh and looked down at Will's hand, still clutching her own. Her hands were so cold she could not feel, but his knuckles were white, and his hand was just as cold as hers. She knew that he was just as afraid as she was.

"Cold-blooded!" Someone spat.

"Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?" He spat. "I offer you a choice. Join my crew, and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?"

Ella looked to the man who had spoken. He nodded his head. "I will serve."

"Grand." He said with a smile. He then noticed the pair at the end of the line. He stomped over angrily. "You are neither dead nor dying!" He yelled at them. "What is your purpose here?"

"Jack Sparrow sent us to settle his debt." Will mumbled hurriedly.

"What is your purpose here?" He asked again.

"Jack Sparrow?" He said unsurely. "He sent us to settle his debt."

"Huh, did he now?" He said while looking at them. "I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer."

They were left alone with a couple of crewmen. "Fool." Ella hissed at him. "When will you learn that Jack _never_ means well?" She asked.

He looked up at her; he saw terror in her eyes. "I –"

"If Jack fails us." She whispered. "We are condemned to serve forever!"

"Forget Jack." He said. "_I_ won't fail you."

She looked away. It seemed like it was forever before Davy Jones returned. "It seems like _Jack Sparrow_ has offered you up as price to keep his good name." He said.

Ella looked up at him, the Captain paused and looked at her, his expression seemed to soften. She looked away and got up as they were all led to the Flying Dutchman.

* * *

><p>Short chapter, I know... the later chapters will be longer, this I promise, I just thought that I should have this chapter seperate then the next chapter. So yeah, reviews would be VERY lovely!<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	13. Truth & Confessions

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>The ship was imposing. It was dark, moist, and cold, it smelled like it had been at sea for thousands of years, and sometimes she could have sworn she could see faces in the wood, blinking at her.<p>

As she ran about with the crew-members, her hands clutching the grimy rope as she tied it around a peg. "Ashwood!" Someone growled.

She looked up to the Bo'sun. "What?"

Somewhere else not to far from her someone else replied.

"To the helm."

She went to the wheel, at the same time a man did as well. They stopped and looked at each other. He looked confused then he pushed her away. "This is my job."

"But he was talking to me!" She yelled back.

"Believe me, kid." He said. "He was talking to me." He looked at her then shook his head with a frown.

"YOU!" Bo'sun yelled angrily. "Get back to work."

She looked at the man, something about him was familiar. She shook her head and walked off.

Later that day she sat below deck, her hands were blistered and her back hurt. She sat below deck and shrugged on her coat to try and keep the cold at bay. Will walked down and sat beside her. "I hate this." She grumbled.

"So do I." He replied.

The man from before, Ashwood, also joined them. "What do you want?" She asked.

"You look so much like her." He said. Sounding pained.

"Who?" She asked.

"Your mother."

"M-my mother."

"You're Eleanor." He said. "Aren't you?"

"Who are you?"

The man studied her. "I'm your father."

Ella frowned. "M-My father?" She questioned.

He nodded.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Isabella – she said that you were –" She frowned. "I don't understand."

"We were killed, your mother and I." He said. "I was still alive when they took you away, the tide had taken me to sea… and that is where Davy Jones found me." He sat down beside her.

"I'll leave you." Will said.

Ella looked at him. "My name is Nathaniel Ashwood." He said. "Most would just call me Nathan."

"You're a pirate." She said.

"Yes. I was – am." He said with a nod.

She studied him silently; she could see how she looked like him. "You look like her, your mother, I mean. Except for the nose and eyes, those are mine. She had blue eyes." He smiled; she could see nostalgia in his eyes. "She was beautiful."

"What happened?" She asked.

"What happens to anyone who goes against Cutler Beckett." He said with a shrug. "He approached me to be a privateer for the Company, I told him that I had retired from sailing when you were born, we had enough money from your grandfather who had passed away, leaving his estate to your mother… and we didn't want to expose you to piracy at such a young age…" He let out a sigh. "He found us when we were taking a family trip to the beach… you were so brave that day."

"And Isabella…?"

"She was a good friend of your mother's."

"She never told me anything." She said quietly.

"We wanted you to move on if something like that ever did happen." He said.

"But Isabella is dead." She said. "Beckett killed her as well."

"Be careful." He said. "He is not a man to cross."

"I am here because of him." She said with a frown. "He wants something of Jack's… and he is blackmailing my by saying he will hand an innocent woman if I run."

"And that young man?" He asked.

"His fiancé faces the gallows as well, all for Jack Sparrow."

"I never liked him." He stated dryly. "Your mother thought he was amusing."

"How are you not like all the other men?" She asked suddenly.

He pulled down the neck of his shirt to reveal gills on the side of his neck. "My toes are webbed."

"Like a Naftes." She murmured quietly.

"That's what I thought as well." He said.

She looked at her knees.

"Your friend looks anxious." He said. "I don't think he trusts me."

She let out a sigh and got up. "You said it was Beckett who killed you." She said.

"Eleanor." He said. "Seeking out revenge will not do you any good, it will not make you feel better, and I know that from experience."

"It may not make me feel better." She replied. "But at least I will know that this person who is threatening lives, and taking them as if he had a right to, is gone – and I am the one to have ended him."

"You are a contradiction." He said. "Is his life yours to take?"

"But he took everything I've ever had." She replied. "I think I have the right to take that one thing from him."

"Listen to me." He said as they got up. "Don't let this blind you – you." He pointed at Will. "Surely you can convince her to not pursue this."

"Had he wanted to, he would have tried." She replied. "But he had more important things on his mind – I am not here to be lectured, Tia Dalma said my truth is on the Flying Dutchman…" He looked at Nathan. "And here you are, my mission aboard this ship is over, and now I will help Will complete his."

Nathan looked at Will, then back at Ella, his eyes full of understanding, and sympathy when turned to his daughter. She frowned angrily, noticing how people had the tendency to do that. "Stop it." She hissed to Nathan.

"Eleanor." He said. "You pursuing this –"

She turned around and walked away. She didn't want to be lectured; she didn't want to be deterred. Yes, she knew what she wanted and how she obsessed about it was a bit abnormal, but she had nothing else to think about. The world didn't allow her anything else, or so she felt. She was weary, and she longed to have a life away from this, away from Beckett, and away from Will.

She wanted a life where her parents were still alive, a life where her heart was not darkened by that demon called revenge. She was torn, confused, and in a place that terrified her. It seemed like nothing was going her way, and that tired her.

She sat alone and hugged herself tightly. She then sat up. No, she wasn't here just for revenge. She looked up at the moldy ceiling above her. She was here because Annabelle was condemned to the gallows because of her. She wanted to save Annabelle.

Nathan was at the helm again, the rain had begun to fall again and it was cold. "I'm sorry." Ella said. "About before, I have the tendency to despair sometimes."

He looked at her. "From what your friend told me, I guess I can see how." He said. "Unless he only told me the bad just to make me sympathize with you."

"Probably." She replied with a shrug.

"That man will be the end of you." He stated simply.

"So I have been told, in a roundabout way." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have… over-reacted before." She stated. "Its just… Annabelle raised me as her daughter, and loved me as one when nobody else would." She shrugged. "I owe it to her to ensure her freedom, and I owe it to Isabella to –"

"She wouldn't have wanted you to." He said.

"Don't lie, she told me his name for a reason." She said. "She always taught me to live by the code; 'An eye for an eye.' And that means a life for a life."

"But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."*

"Then I will walk around blind if it will let me feel like I have repaid my debt to her." She said.

He let out a sigh. "You are very convincing." He said. "Much like your mother – she spoke a lot as well."

Ella grinned slightly.

"I didn't say that was a good thing, that's what got me here." He stated dryly.

She shrugged and began to say something but a crash turned their attentions to the deck where a canon had fallen to the ground.

"You better go check on your boyfriend." He said lazily.

"My boyf –" She wondered as she turned and saw the crew holding Will up by his arms. She ran to see what was the problem, accidentally slipping on the stairs she tumbled down the rest of it, landing at the feet of someone. Or rather the foot and peg of Davy Jones. The captain glared down at her as she scampered to get up, only falling back again to the ground.

He walked past her and right to Will. She got up and walked right behind the hulking captain. "I'll take them all." Someone said.

"Will you now? And what would prompt such an act of charity?" The Captain asked.

"… my son." The crew-member said.

Ella froze at this. She couldn't see Will because Davy Jones was in the way, but she imagined he too was shocked.

Davey Jones began to laugh as he moved out of the way. She saw Will notice her. "What fortuitous circumstance be this! Five lashes be owed. I believe it is."

"No." The crew-member said.

"The cat's out of the bag, Mister Turner. Your issue will feel its sting be it Bo'sun's hand, by your own!" He shoved the whip into his hand.

"No."

"Bo'sun!" He yelled.

"No!" Ella cried out as he took it back.

Someone threw his vest at her; she gripped it and watched as they tore the back of his shirt open. She had to look away as she heard the whip crack five times, and every time she heard Will let out a strangled cry she cringed. Once it was over they threw Will below deck, she ran after him and saw his back, crisscrossed with fine bloody cuts, and he kept falling as he tried to get up.

She hurried down the steps and tried to help him up. "Come on." She said as she helped him sit down on a bench. The man appeared, holding a white shirt to replace the torn one.

"I don't need your help." Will said as he pushed it away.

"The Bo'sun prides himself at cleaving flesh from bone." He replied.

Ella took the new shirt and then took the remains of Will's torn wet one.

"So I am to understand that was an act of compassion." He said angrily.

"Yes." He let out a sigh. "I will be back with something so you can clean those wounds."

They nodded and watched him leave. It did not take him long to return with a bottle of liquid that looked like rum, "It's the best you can use on a ship like this." He said with a shrug.

"Thank you." Ella said as she took it.

"I'll be up deck, but I will return when I am done with my duties for the day."

They nodded and watched him leave. She tore a strip from the ruined shirt and balled it in her hand. "This will sting." She said quietly as she wet it with the red liquid. "But it'll clean your wound from whatever could have been on that whip…"

He hissed as she touched the fabric to the wound.

"I'm sorry -!"

"Don't be." He said through gritted teeth.

She let out a quiet sigh as she continued to dab at the wounds, his hisses turned into grunts but they were soon silenced, his hand gripped the bench, and his knuckles were white. It seemed to take forever for her to clean the wound, when she was done she apologized.

He turned to look at her, but she could see he did it with great difficulty. She handed him the shirt as she looked away from him. He put it in his lap and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Anybody would have done it." She said as she got up and set the soiled fabric aside.

"Ella –"

"I'm sorry." She said. "About… how I have been acting lately."

He let out a sigh. Then looked at her. "Ella, back at Tia Dalma's shack…" He said. "She said –"

"I heard what she said." She said.

"Who was she talking about?" He paused. "I mean, I've known you ever since we were children, the only person you knew – it isn't Sean is it?" He asked.

"No." She said quietly as she shook her head.

"Oh." He said, and then he realized something. "Wait –"

"Who do you think?" She asked. "I just don't want to talk about it." She said with a frown.

He let out a sigh. "But I do."

She looked at him. "Of course you do, it concerns you, after all. Doesn't it?" She asked.

"I want to talk about it because –"

"Because you love Elizabeth. I understand." She said as she sat down beside him.

"Because of her warning." He said.

She looked away. "Of course."

He let out another sigh. "Ella –"

"'You are my best friend.'" She said. "'I've always thought of you as a sister.' Yes, I know that's what you're going to say."

"I'm sorry." He said.

She looked surprised. "What?"

"You were always there… and I just never thought –"

"Yeah, well, when someone like Elizabeth is there, the rest of us kind of go unnoticed." She said.

"But, you're her friend." He said.

"Apparently, I didn't start disliking her until I got back from the trip with Jack." She shrugged.

They sat in silence. "How long?" He asked.

"I guess… the moment she told me you were getting married… It just – hit me how shocked I was at the new, mother said she thought it would hurt me – and I didn't think – I didn't know –" She shrugged. "And then she started dragging me around, and she just would not shut up about you – I couldn't take it any more – all this time I thought it was because you were my best friend – but –" She broke off. "This is stupid." She said. "Its not like talking is going to change anything at all, you still love Elizabeth – and I'm still –" She shook her head and got up. "Put your shirt on." She kept her back to him.

He slowly obeyed, mindful of his aching back. She turned to look at him; he knew the conversation was over. Bootstrap returned to the tense setting, he looked between Will and Ella who was sitting on the ground, looking everywhere but at Will.

"Walk with me." He said.

They walked past men and faces in the wood. "A hundred years before the mast, that is the oath we all swore." He said. "And then you end up like poor Wyvern here." He pointed to a man that had mutated into a part of the ship.

"We've sworn no oath." Will said.

"Then leave while you can!" Bootstrap said.

"Not until we find this key." He said as he held out the cloth.

"The Dead Man's chest." Wyvern said, slightly coming out of the wall, his brain was seemingly what kept him attached to the wall.

"What do you know of this?" Will asked.

"Open the chest with the key, and stab the heart." He paused. "No-no-no-no. Don't stab the heart. The Dutchman needs a living heart, or there'll be no captain. And if there's no captain, there's no one to have the key." He said.

"So the captain has the key?" Ella asked.

Wyvern closed his mouth and began to retreat to the wall.

"Where is the key?" Will asked.

"Hidden."

"Where is the chest?"

"Hidden."

He fully retreated and shut his eyes.

"I imagine that is all we will get from him." Ella said quietly.

Will looked at her. "We need to get to that key."

"And how do you plan to do that? We know its with fish-face upstairs, but we don't know _were_it is. Unless you suggest we manually search him." She shuddered.

She acted like the conversation had never happened. Secretly he wondered if she meant anything she had said. If it really did mean anything – the emotion in her face was too real. But now, she was too much like Jack.

"I'll think of something." He promised. "Just give me a couple of days."

She sighed and looked about the ship. "I really hate it here." She said before walking off.

"Your friend is afraid of this ship." Bootstrap said. "I imagine she grew up with the stories."

Will silently watched her walk away. He was now confused about his friend, he had never been confused about her before.

* * *

><p>*Mahatma Gandhi, he existed years after the time I imagine the movies were set in, but I really do like this quote, and I found it suitable to use.<p>

Anyways, thank you to **bluelibellule13 **whose reviews make me want to update =] And to everyone who has favorited and/or put this story in their Alerts.

Remember, review, I really want to know what you think about this story!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	14. Gambling with Davy Jones

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ever since their talk, Ella's hostility has lessened. However, with that lessened hostility was lessened interaction. She had taken to spending time with Nathan when they had the time. She would listen to his stories of the adventures he had before Ella's birth, and the places he had seen, even the gold he had looted. He was a true pirate, a true thief, and it seemed like Ella's mother made an honest man out of him.<p>

Will was too busy to dwell upon that too much. He walked about the deck, and tried to discover what the crewmen did in their spare time, anything to get him to Davy Jones. For days he listened in on conversations, and ended up places he ought not to end up in.

Finally, true to his promise, about four days later Will figured out a way he could possibly discover the place of the key. He discovered a game all the men took part in.

She didn't understand why Will had her hand in his as he led her past the men. "Will, I'm tired, they had me scrub the deck, and it's disgusting again, I don't know why I bothered."

He abruptly stopped, making her bump into him. "I think I might have found a way to get to the key." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

For the first time in days he saw some sort of emotion in her eyes. "You know I do." She stated simply.

"Then… trust me." He said. "And don't do anything stupid."

She smirked. "You are the wrong person to tell me that."

"Follow me." He said as he continued to pull her along.

They went to an area full of crewmen surrounding four men sitting around a square crate playing Dice. Ella could remember this game from her youth, the first mate had bet her in one of the games to the look-out, and Isabella scolded him and had to play to win her back.

"I know this game." She whispered.

"You do?" He asked.

"Just watch, I'll explain it if you want." She said as she leaned on his shoulder to get a better look.

He watched.

"I wager ten years." One of them said.

"The bet, it always goes first, obviously." She whispered.

"I'll match ten years." The other said.

"Once they all agree." She whispered. "The dice must be cast –" She fell silent as they shook their cups and slammed them down onto the crate.

He watched intently as they revealed the dice to only themselves, saying numbers, until someone cried out. "Liar!"

"It's a game of deception." She said with a sly grin. "Your bet is on everyone's dice… not just yours."

He looked at her as she watched the game.

"You have seen this game before?"

She smiled at some distant memory. "Not only did I see it, I was a part of the wager." She looked at him.

"One day." He said. "I will sit you down and listen to all of your stories."

She rolled her eyes and looked away. "Oh, look, one of them won."

"What happened now?" He asked.

"Another set." She said simply.

This time, three crewmen sat down. Their wagers also ten years. "Do you understand the game?" Bootstrap asked.

Will nodded. "Ella explained it. It's a game of deception. Your bet includes all the dice, not just your own."

"Yes."

"But what are they wagering?" He asked.

"Time." Bootstrap said. "The only thing they have."

"So any crewman can be challenged?" Will asked.

"Yes." Bootstrap said.

"I challenge Davy Jones." He declared.

"What?" Ella hissed.

He turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You said you trusted me."

She nodded hesitantly.

"Do not do anything stupid."

He felt her hand clutch his arm as they heard the rhythmic thumping of Davy Jones walking. What was it about him that terrified her so much?

Her nails dug into his arm as the steady thumping got louder, the captain appeared. "I accept." He said, looking amused.

"Don't do this." Bootstrap said.

"Will –"

"The stakes?" Davy Jones asked as they set a wood table-top onto the crate.

"My soul. An eternity of servitude –"

"Will!" She hissed.

"Against?"

"This." Will said as he tossed the cloth down.

"How do you know of the key?" He asked. It almost came out strangled.

"That's not a part of the game is it?" He said. "You can still walk away."

Davy Jones pulled out a key from beneath his tentacle beard, it was strange looking, but just like the image on the cloth. Will sat down and they both cast down the dice, Bootstrap suddenly joined in.

"What's this?" Davy Jones asked angrily.

"I'm in." He said. "Matching his wager."

"Don't do this." Will said.

"The die is cast." Bootstrap said simply. "I bid three twos. It's your bid Captain."

Davy Jones looked about before smirking. "Four fours."

Ella was standing behind Will the whole time, he was silent for a moment before he said; "Four fives."

"Six threes." Bootstrap said.

They lifted their cups; Ella couldn't properly see Will's but she could tell from the way his shoulders squared that it was not looking very good.

"Seven fives." Davy Jones said with full confidence.

Will hesitated a bit and looked up. "Eight fives."

The captain began to laugh. "Welcome to the crew lad –"

"Twelve fives." Bootstrap said. "Twelve fives. Call me a liar or up the bet."

Davy Jones looked angry. "And be called a liar myself for my trouble!" He grabbed Bootstrap's cup and lifted it. "Bootstrap Bill, you're a liar and you will spend an eternity on this ship! Master Turner, feel free to go ashore...the better next time we make port!" He said laughing before he left.

Ella watched everybody disperse from around them. Nathan stood there with a frown on his face. She walked over to him. "That Bootstrap was always rash." He said. "Now he's stuck here for life."

"I can see where Will gets it from." She said as the pair walked over.

"El." Will said. "We're leaving tonight."

She looked at Bootstrap who nodded.

"I'm going to get the key." He said. "You wait with –" He looked to his father.

She nodded as he left them. Probably to go think his plan through.

"I guess this is it." She told Nathan.

"Hug for your old man?"

She took a step back. "Sorry." She said. "My old man, you may be. But I don't know you."

He pointed at her, and then nodded. "True." He said.

"So, see you." She waved.

He chuckled as he watched her walk off.

"In a while the captain will resume his playing on the organ." Bootstrap said. "He is known to sleep as he does, that is your chance."

"Will the deck be clear?" Will asked.

"The men will have begun to go to sleep." He said. "There will only be the one manning the helm, but he won't be a problem to get rid of."

"Unless it's Bo'sun." Ella said. "Then we die."

"Exactly, but he never mans the helm at night." Bootstrap said. "Will, you will go in and get the key, and I will have the longboat ready for you two, I want you to get to land as fast as you can from there."

Later that night they walked to the helm; Bootstrap looked at the crewman manning it. "Captain says I'm to relieve you." The crewman glared at him. Bootstrap merely shrugged. "Captain's orders."

Once he was gone Will took the opportunity to go into the Captain's quarters.

They stood there silently. "So you're just going to walk away from Nathan like that?" He asked after a long moment of silence.

"Eh." She shrugged. "I've lost two fathers, and found one again – this one? Not so impressive, in fact, I think I see too much of Jack in him to my liking."

Bootstrap chuckled at her reasoning.

"But." She said. "Its nice to know that I really am a daughter of the sea." She shrugged. "To know that my father was a pirate, and so was my mother, to know it's in the blood? That is very comforting." She looked at him with a small smile.

Bootstrap returned the smile.

"It's actually not that bad when everyone is asleep." She said.

"You can actually think." He agreed with a chuckle. He then looked at the sails above. "William and I… we were talking about you." He said.

"About me?" She asked oddly.

"Yes." He said. "He mentioned that every time you see the Captain, you are terrified." He looked at her again.

"I guess he noticed." She said.

"Why?"

She let out a sigh. "When I was seven, we came across a ship that had run aground." She said. "For some reason, Isabella had to go aboard… she said something about… seeing something." She shook her head. "And I saw the effects of the Kraken for the first time – and …" She let out a sigh. "And I also met him that day. Isabella hadn't planned to see him there. That much was obvious because there was a fight. I watched him mercilessly cut down some of the crewmen; you can imagine how terrifying that would be to a seven year old."

She shrugged. "I guess that fear never left me, and now every time I see him I remember the men falling before my very eyes."

He nodded.

She continued. "I was a timid child growing up." She said. "… I still am timid. That I know."

He chuckled quietly at this.

"But don't tell Will, he worries." She added.

They jumped as they heard a sudden noise. "He is asleep, right?" She asked.

"He should be."

"Then what was that?" She asked.

Bootstrap shrugged. "Had anything happened the whole ship would know by know." He stated.

"Oh." She stated.

Will finally appeared, he had tied the key to a thin rope and he put it about his neck. "Let's go." He said.

"Ok." She said.

The three walked to the awaiting longboat. "Here, take this too." Bootstrap said as he gave Will a simple silver knife. "Now get yourself to land and stay there. It was always in my blood to die at sea, but it was not a fate I ever wanted for you."

Will looked slightly pained. "It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself, either."

"I could say I did what I had to when I left you to go pirating, but it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted. You owe me nothing, Will. Now go."

"They'll know you helped us." Ella stated.

"What more can they do to me?" He questioned.

"I take this with a promise." Will said as he held up the knife. "I'll find a way to sever Jones' hold on you and not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise."

Bootstrap let out a sigh as he watched them climb into the boat; they each grabbed a hold of a rope and lowered the boat into the water as they hurriedly began to row away.

"We could really use a compass." She said.

Will agreed.

She looked up at the sky. "Too cloudy to use the star, I guess we just blindly row until we find land, or a ship to take us to land."

"That might be our best chance." He agreed.

She watched as he grabbed the oars and let out a sigh. He looked at her as she leaned on the side and watched the water as he rowed. "You gambled with Davy Jones, and survived." She said as she watched the ship grow farther away. "Congratulations."

"What is it that scares you so much about him?" He asked.

"You really are your father's son." She said. She let a sigh and told the story she told Bootstrap. Once she was done she shrugged. "And that is it."

"It must have been terrifying to witness things like that at such a young age." He said.

"There are people who have seen worse." She shrugged.

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13<strong> and **Saya Hikari Uchiha **(I had to take out the dots because FF wouldn't let me keep them X-D) for reviewing, it keeps me motivated =]

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	15. Dead Man's Chest

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>They rowed in turn. "We're so far out." Ella said as she rowed, her arms beginning to burn and her shoulders were sore.<p>

Will was rolling his shoulders, "There." He said as he managed to point to the distance. She turned and saw a ship. She nodded and began to row. When he decided she wasn't going fast enough Will took over and began to row as quickly as he possibly could.

"Hey!" Ella yelled as she waved her arms about. "Here! HERE!"

The ship seemed to notice them and change course to meet them. Ella could see it was called the Edinburgh Trader. "Let them aboard!" Someone yelled out.

A ladder was lowered and the pair climbed it, once they were aboard they were led to the captain's quarters, given blankets, and mugs of steaming tea.

"Thank you –?" Ella started.

"Bellamy." He said. "I'm Captain Anthony Bellamy."

She nodded and took a sip from the mug, realizing it had been the first thing for her to really drink in days.

"It's a strange thing to come upon a longboat so far out in open waters." Captain Bellamy said.

"Just put as many leagues behind us as you can, as fast as you can." Will said.

"And what are we running from?" Captain Bellamy asked.

He found it suspicious that these two just appeared with no ship in sight, and them being many leagues from the nearest port. He looked up as Ella got up. "Will." She said as she walked over to a dress that was draped on the chair facing them.

"That dress." Will asked as he got up. "Where did you get it?" He took it in his hands and looked at Captain Bellamy.

"It was found aboard the ship." He explained. "The men thought it was an omen of ill fate."

"That's foolish." Will said as he set it down again.

"Yes, exceedingly foolish." One of the sailors within the room said.

"It brought good fortune. The spirit told us pull in at Tortuga, and we made a nice bit of profit there." The other explained.

"Off the books, of course." Captain Bellamy said.

"I imagine some of your crew may have jumped ship there?" He asked.

"Yes." Captain Bellamy asked. "A sailor… Sean Andrews and his half-wit tiny brother disappeared after we left Tortuga." He paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Sean?" Ella said. "What's he doing with –" She broke off as a sailor ran into the quarters.

"Captain, a ship's been spotted."

"Colors?" Bellamy asked.

"She isn't flying any." He replied.

"Pirates." The captain hissed.

"Or worse." Will said.

Ella set the mug aside and tossed the blanket to the seat she sat in before as they ran outside and to the rail.

"I've doomed us all." Will said. He then looked to the crew. "It's the Flying Dutchman!"

They all fell as the ship suddenly jolted.

"Mother Carrie's chickens! What happened?" Someone asked.

"Must've hit a reef!" Another said.

"Free the rudder! Hard to port, then hard to starboard!" Captain Bellamy ordered.

Will looked at Ella whose eyes were wide as she stepped back. "It's not a reef." She said as Will climbed up into the rigging as he stood on the sail.

Ella grabbed a gun as the men ran about. She then turned when she heard someone yell out: "KRAKEN!" She stared up in horror as she saw a massive tentacle slap down and grab the sailor, flinging him about before throwing him onto the deck, she stepped aside as the poor sailor landed beside her, the look of fear still upon his face, his back twisted oddly, and he did not breath.

She made to shoot at a tentacle but Will ran her way and grabbed her about her waist as he jumped off ship onto to watch it crash into the depths. He spotted a bit of wood that resembled the raft they used to get to Tortuga. He wordlessly pulled Ella who spotted it as well; they grabbed it and hid beneath it, aware of the approaching Dutchman.

He gestured to the ship and they silently swam to it, slowly they retreated from the safety of their raft and scaled the side of the ship, hiding in the jaw-like structure of the bow. "Stay here." Will commanded in a whisper.  
>She was about to say something but he left. She sat there, staring at the stretch of blue before her and let out a sigh. Will returned, he was frowning. "What is it?" She asked.<p>

"We don't need to find a way to get to Jack. He's headed there."

She nodded as he sat beside her. They sat in silence before he spoke up again. "Do you really think that it's Sean?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know, he hates pirates – so what –" She broke off. "… I told him to stay away." She muttered angrily.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." She said as she leaned against the decaying wood.

They just sat there in silence, sometimes Ella would absently scratch at her brand. "You don't think, maybe, he had a change of heart?" Will asked.

"I doubt he ever had one in the first place for it to change." She replied dryly. "Because if he did, he wouldn't push away someone he considered a 'dear friend' so easily, and he would most definitely have not added insult to injury." She scowled.

"Insult… to –" He questioned.

"It's nothing." She said. She pulled her knees up and put her head on them as she let out a sigh.

He let out a sigh as he pulled out the knife and began to study it. She stared at the tiny weapon "Can I see it?" She asked.

He handed her the knife. She took it in her hands, noticing for the first time that her nails had dirt under them; she ran her fingers down the edge of the blade. "Its not all that sharp." She stated. She then touched the tip. "But maybe it'll be sharp enough to pierce the heart."

He nodded.

"Here." She said as she handed it back to him.

He took it back and then put it away. "Can I see the key?" She asked.

He gave her an odd look.

"What?" She asked. "It's not like we have anything to do." She shrugged.

He chuckled and shook his head as he took it off and handed it over to her. She studied it, turning it in her hands. "Will – there something you need to know – about the chest – I –" She started. She then froze and pointed to the distance. "The island!" She said.

He got up and pulled her up with him. "The Pearl." He said as he took the key back.

"Is it me, or is the ship going into the water?" She asked.

True enough the water seemed to be rising. "This is where we get off." Will said.

She nodded as they both dived into the ocean, swimming as fast as they could away from the ship. They broke to the surface, both gasping for air. "It's not that much farther." Will said.

"I see Pintel and Ragetti." She stated.

"Let's go."

She let out a sigh and followed him as they swam to the beach.

They began to walk onto the beach. "You were actually telling the truth." Someone said.

"That sounds like James." She muttered as she used Will's arm to pull herself up.

"I do that quite a lot. You people are always surprised." Jack's voice said.

Will chuckled silently when he saw Ella scowl. She then pushed herself away from Will and marched right up to them.

"Ella!" Elizabeth cried out in surprise. Sean was there, and so was James.

"Oh look." Ella said. "It's the whole gang." Her tone was sarcastic.

Jack turned. "Elly! Love!" He walked over to her with his arms held out as if to hug her.

"You know what, Jack." She said. "I just remembered there was a message we were supposed to pass on from two _lovely_ladies in Tortuga." They all gasped as she slapped him smartly across the face, his head snapping back as his arms fell.

"What was that bloody for?" He asked enraged.

"_You know what!"_She hissed angrily.

"I think you should be thanking me love." He said with an easy smirk.

"Thanking you I –" Her hand flew up.

He caught it. "I don't think so." He said. "Not again."

She glared up at him. "You sold us to him." She hissed angrily.

"Technically, I went to Tortuga to collect souls to offer instead of you and your belo –"

"And _how_many souls did you have to –" She gasped as Jack pushed her aside as he turned to Will.

She had fallen into the sand with a light thump.

"I applaud you mate, how did you get here with this one harping all the time?" He asked.

Will was glaring at Sean but his attention snapped back to them. "A pair of sea-turtles." He said. "Strapped to my feet, and Ella on my back."

She blushed as Jack smirked. "Not very easy, is it?"

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack." He said as he pulled Ella up from the sand.

"You do?" She asked.

"You do?" Jack asked.

"After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones..."

"What?" Elizabeth asked shrilly.

"What?" Jack asked.

"...I was reunited with my father." Will said.

"Me too." Ella added. "But, I didn't like him so much."

"You're welcome, then." Jack said.

"Everything you said to me, every word was a lie!" Elizabeth yelled at him.

"And now you know why I hate him." Ella muttered as she walked past them and right up to Sean. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I –" He ducked as her fist flew to his face.

"Are you going to turn us in?" She asked.

"Listen to me!" He said.

"I told you to stay away!" She said angrily. She poked him in the chest, pushing him away from everyone else. "I _told_you to keep away from her!"

"She came to me." He hissed.

"I don't believe you." She spat.

"And yet, here _I_am." He said.

"You are a terrible man." She said. "A terrible, horrible person who does not understand friendship – who does not care about a thing in the world but himself!" As she said this she pushed him back, further away from the group. "You are worse than Jack because you claimed Sainthood when you are nothing but a scoundrel."

"Listen to me." He said. "I swear to you that it is she who –"

"I will not believe a single word that comes out of your mouth." She said.

"Says the woman who has lied to everyone around her." He spat.

"You don't belong here." She said. "_I_probably don't belong here – want to know why? Because its people like us who get forgotten, get it?" She pointed at Elizabeth. "Will and Elizabeth will end up together, and have a love that will transcend through time and history, like Anthony and Cleopatra, and where will we end up?"

"Then tell me this." Sean said. "For someone who's 'love will transcend through time and history' Turner sure did not seem that enthusiastic to see Elizabeth again."

She shook her head and walked past him. Elizabeth was walking in the sand furiously, a hand in the air as she stumbled about. "Oh, fine! Let's just pull out our swords and start banging away at each other! That'll solve everything! I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked PIRATES!"

"Elizabeth?" She asked quietly.

She held up her hand and told Ella to wait. "Oh! OH! The HEAT!" She then fell back into the sand.

Ella saw that Will, Jack, and James were engaged in a three-way sword-fight. "Well." She sat down beside Elizabeth who sat up as well.

"Men." She grumbled.

"Elizabeth." She said. "Why is Sean here?" She asked.

Elizabeth looked slightly guilty. "I didn't know who else to go to." She said. "And… I knew he was a good friend of yours –"

"No." Ella said. "This was not – why would you -?" She frowned. "Elizabeth… did… anything happen?"

"No." Elizabeth said. "I promise you."

Ella nodded and glared at Sean who stood within hearing distance.

Their attention was drawn to Pintel and Ragetti who were running off with a chest. It was unmistakable which chest that was. "Hey!" She yelled.

She got up and ran after them, followed by Elizabeth and Sean.

"Get back here!" Ella yelled. Running as fast as she could.

Thinking it would be clever to head them off she ran away from them, letting Elizabeth and Sean run right behind them. She realized she didn't have a weapon, so even if she had caught up with them, it wouldn't have mattered.

Her train of thought was cut off by yelling. She looked up and her eyes widened as she saw a massive wheel coming right at her. "What the –" She began to try and run away from it but it caught up with her. She let out a shriek as she somehow ended up inside of the wheel.

"Ella!" Someone yelled.

"Jack!" She yelled. "This is your fault!"

"Why would you say that?" He asked.

"IT'S ALWAYS YOUR FAULT!" She pumped her arms furiously as she tried to keep up with the wheel, it was either she keep running or let herself be tossed about, and she wasn't willing to just jump to safety. She could hear Jack, Will, and James fighting all about her. She saw Jack fall to safety. "I really hate him." She grumbled as her arms and legs pumped furiously.

And then it happened. Her foot slipped into a hole that sent her flat on her face as the wheel continued to turn, as she was tossed about she was able to clutch to a wood beam. All she could see was a blur of green as they sped through the jungle, and then blue, she couldn't figure out what the blue was until the Wheel finally stopped and fell into the clear ocean water.

She dizzily got up with James and Will who looked over to see Elizabeth and the others fighting Davy Jones crew. "Right." He said as he jumped out, James did as well. Ella clumsily slid over the wheel and fell into the water. She sat up and shook her head to clear it, when she could see straight she saw that Davy Jone's crew had gotten to the longboat. She got up and ran.

"Here!" Elizabeth yelled as she threw her an oar.

She gripped it and began to swing randomly at the creatures. Hitting a couple as she did, not really paying attention to what she was hitting. She then spotted Nathan fighting with them. "I knew I didn't like you." She grumbled. She turned as someone grabbed the oar. "Into the boat!" It was Jack.

"We're not getting out of this." Elizabeth said.

Ella noticed Will dangling off the side of the boat. She heaved him inside as James grabbed the chest. "Not with the chest."

"Are you insane?" Ella said as she dropped Will, his head falling with a loud thud to the floor of the boot. She grimaced and bent over him to make sure it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

"Don't wait for me." He said before running off.

"I say we respect his final wish." Jack said.

Ella sat beside Will as the others finally got in and rowed to the Pearl, when they got there Sean and Jack hoisted Will up on their shoulders and climbed up. They dumped him on the deck with another thud. "This can't be good for him." She said as she checked his head again.

She looked up at Elizabeth who joined her. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked.

They both looked down at him. "Out of the pair of us." She said with an almost pained smile. "I think it is obvious who would have won his heart over." She looked up. "Plus, I don't think it would have been very proper for me to say: 'Elizabeth, please don't get married, I think I might be in love with your Fiancé –'" She broke off with a shrug. "I wouldn't be a very good friend, would I?"

Elizabeth let out a sigh. "Ella –" She started quietly.

"It doesn't matter now." She said as she looked down at Will. She let out a sigh and got up.

"Ella – wait –" Elizabeth started.

Ella shrugged and walked off.

"Ms. Ella!" Mr. Gibbs said.

"Hello Mr. Gibbs, I bet you didn't expect to see me so soon."

"We thought we lost you to the locker, bless your soul." He said.

She grinned and went to help about the deck.

She pulled at a rope to secure the sails, beside her Pintel and Ragetti were arguing about the rope they were tightening. She shook her head with a small smile. Compared to the hellish days she spent on the Dutchman, the Pearl was like heaven.

She froze when someone held a hilt to her, it belonged to a rapier. She looked up and saw Sean standing there, he looked apologetic. "We used to be best friends." He stated. "And I betrayed that."

"Oh? And what made you think that?" She asked as she went to secure another sail.

"Being out at sea, and living the life of a pirate." He shrugged. "Ella – I realized that this life isn't as bad as I assumed."

"I'm sorry." She said. "I would like to smile and say that it's all okay. But it isn't. I trusted you, and when I needed you most –" She stopped herself. "I'm sorry. No."

He let out a sigh. "At least take the sword, you'll need it."

She nodded and took it from him, the belt was long so she looped it twice around her waist and carried on with her business.

She walked back across the deck and up to the helm, she noticed Will was up and well. She could hear a loud splash behind her and Gibbs cried out in surprise. "Lord on High, deliver us!"

She turned around to see the Dutchman, and Davey Jones loomed on the rail, as terrifying as usual. She gripped the hilt in her hand and looked on.

Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I've got this." She saw the jar of dirt in his hands. "Hey, fish face! Lose something? Congealy..." He started and tripped down the stairs, Ella cringed with every thud that she heard. He finally stopped falling; his hands flew up, the jar of dirt in them. "Got it!" He seemed to pull himself up and then he smirked.

Ella wondered what he had up his sleeves, or rather, in his jar.

"Come to negotiate, eh? You slimy git! Look what I got. I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what's inside it?"

The crew all rolled their eyes at this. Count on Jack to be childish in the face of death itself.

Obviously Davy Jones thought it was childish as well because they could hear him roar 'ENOUGH!' And canons emerged from the broadside of the ship. She gaped when she found herself staring down the barrel of the canon.

"Hard to starboard?" Jack said weakly.

"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Brace the foreyard!" Will commanded.

Ella was frozen to her spot. "Move!" A voice said. She snapped out of her trance and began to rush about with everyone else.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Aye, we've got her." Gibbs agreed,

"We're the faster?" Will asked, he looked up at Ella who joined them.

"Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us. That's how she takes her prey." He explained. "But with the wind..."

"… We rob her advantage." Will said as he nodded slowly.

"We can survive this?" Ella questioned.

"They're giving up!" Marty yelled out excitedly from the riggings.

Will walked to Jack. "My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should stand and fight."

"Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs is the proper leverage." Jack said. Ella gasped as a jolt shook the ship.

"We aren't out of this yet." She said in a horrified whisper.

"Musta hit a reef." She said.

"No. It's not a reef." Will said as Ella looked up at him. He quickly walked over and pulled her and Elizabeth back. "Get away from the rail!" He called out.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

The crew looked about, not knowing what to look for, but there was a deadly calm that was not unlike that deep breath before the plunge. Ella's hand went to the hilt as her eyes darted about almost fearfully. "The Kraken."

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, <strong>and **HeartBreakGirls54 **for reviewing! And of course all you other lovely people who have reviewed before! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list.  
><strong><br>**Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	16. Man Down

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Everyone looked at Ella as she spoke quietly.<p>

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

Will nodded. "The Kraken, attack to starboard, I've seen it before! Run out the cannons and hold for my signal!" He said as he walked about.

Mr. Gibbs nodded. "Load the guns! Defend the mast!" He yelled out.

The state of pandemonium returned to the crew. Ella went to the rail and stared down into the ocean, staring down as if she could see the Kraken below the ship. Waiting to drag them down with it. She let out a horrified gasp as a tentacle slithered out of the water and up the side of the ship. She was frozen to her spot as it rose before her, a fleshy, slimy thing with massive suckers, it was really quite disgusting to behold, and yet Ella couldn't look away.

She slowly stepped back as she felt something splash on her face, it wasn't noticeable yet she could feel small droplets of something on her face. "Easy boys." She could hear Will command.

"Will…" Elizabeth said.

Ella's eyes followed the massive thing as it continued its ascent. If the tentacle was at the size that was apparent to them, the size of the beast was unfathomable to Ella as she continued to step back.

"Easy boys!" Will's voice was calm, she could tell that he was trying to soothe the people about him.

"Will…" Elizabeth's voice mildly annoyed Ella as silence ruled the ship.

"Steady…" Will said.

The tension was suffocating. Her back hit the mast as she stared up at the massive appendage; she had never seen anything so strange of terrifying in her life.

"Will!" The shrill voice of Elizabeth cried out.

"Hold!"

"I think we've held fire long enough!" She could hear Pintel yell from below deck.

"Will!" Ella yelled as she tore her eyes away from the beast and looked to him.

He nodded. "FIRE!" He yelled.

She watched as bits of the tentacle burned as holes appeared in the flesh, she could see the sky through them. Everyone let out a cry as it quickly shoved the tentacles at the cannon ports below, taking out the weapons before hiding away.

Ella made her way over to Will who walked over to her, "It'll be back. We have to leave the ship." He said, addressing everyone.

"And how do you plan on doing that John Smith?" Sean asked sarcastically. "The ships are gone, and the one that's still around – well, take a look for yourself." He said as he pointed over his shoulder.

Ella stood on the rail, Elizabeth stood beside her as they saw Jack rowing away from the ship. "Coward." Elizabeth spat.

"I keep finding reasons to not like the blighter." Ella said.

"Pull the grates! Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!" He walked over to Elizabeth and Ella who had walked over to see what he was planning; he had a gun in his hand. "El can you shoot?"

"As well as I can throw a rock into the sea." She stated dryly.

He then looked at Elizabeth. "Whatever you do, don't miss."

"We're short stock on gunpowder! Six barrel." Someone cried out from below.

Gibbs appeared from below. "There's only half a dozen kegs of powder."

"Then load the rum!" Will said just before he walked off.

Ella smirked as the crew fell silent.

"Aye the rum too!" Gibbs cried out.

"Don't worry, Gibbs." She said. "We can load some more when we're out of this mess."

She went to grab the rope that would haul out the net that bore the rum and gun powder. She stumbled as the ship jolted.

"Not good." Marty said.

"Haul away!" Will yelled.

Ella wrapped the rope around her wrist and began to pull with the others.

"Heave! Heave like you're being paid for it!" Gibbs yelled out.

"Put your backs into it!" Marty yelled.

Ella saw that Will was on the net, coaxing the tentacles to wrap around it. She was so distracted by pulling she did not notice the tentacle wrapping about her ankle.

"ELLA!" Sean yelled as he battled one of the tentacles.

She let out a shriek as she was pulled into the sky. She could hear people yell her name, her hand quickly flew to the rapier as she grabbed the hilt, her right hand that had been wrapped in the rope had a nasty burn on it from being pulled from it, she managed to draw the blade and blindly swing about, accidentally getting her foot on the first try until finally the blade met the slimy pink flesh of the tentacle.

There was a jolt and the beast suddenly released her, she threw the blade away from her to avoid further injury as she landed onto the deck, the wind knocked out of her lungs as she fell flat on her back. She stayed there for a second watching the flailing tentacles fly about, trying to squeeze the life out of her fellow crew-mates.

She felt a bit disoriented from the fall as she slowly turned to her side and began to cough. Above her she heard and explosion and saw flaming chunks of flesh rain down on the deck. The stench was terrible as she slowly sat up and stared about her, she saw she was splattered with blood that no doubt belonged to the Kraken, and her leg was covered in slime.

"Did we kill it?" She heard Marty ask.

She looked up as Will made his way over to her and pulled her up. She looked at the flaming chunks of flesh and has an odd smile on her face. "Who's hungry?"

"Abandon ship. Into the longboat."

"Jack? Is that you? You actually came back." Her voice was still mildly distorted from the fall.

"Couldn't abandon my precious Pearl, now could I?" He asked.

"But you're telling us to abandon her?" She looked confused. "Jack –"

"The Pearl." Gibbs said.

"She's only a ship." He said. He almost looked pained, but Ella could see he was putting up a brave front for them.

"He's right." Elizabeth said. "We have to head for land."

"If the Kraken doesn't eat us first." Sean said.

Ella sent him a small glare.

"What? It's a lot of open water!" He said as he pointed to the ocean, an island was in view at the horizon.

"That is a lot of open water." Pintel agreed,

"A lot of open water." Ragetti echoed.

"We have to try. We can get away as it takes down the Pearl." Will said from beside Ella as she leaned on his arm too keep her weight off her injured foot.

Mr. Gibbs let out a defeated sigh. "Aye, abandon ship or abandon hope."

Ella limped over to Jack and then she squinted up at him. "Turns out you aren't a complete rotter." She said.

"I knew you would see it that way love." He said as he leaned in towards her.

She held out her hand. "That's close enough. I'm not hopeful you won't dump us onto some God forsaken spit of land once we're free of this."

"Would never imagine it." He said with a smirk that did not seem very genuine to Ella. Or rather as genuine as Jack could get.

She let out a gasp as she felt a hand on her hip, she jerked and aggravated her back only to find Will standing there. He quickly pulled his hand away and looked guilty. "I was just – I didn't know –" He paused. "Are you hurt there?"

"No, you just – surprised me." She said awkwardly as she began to climb down into the longboat.

She sat down in the boat and waited anxiously, feeling like a refugee about to escape a country to avoid the worse part of war. She saw Will climb down and hesitate a bit. "Move it Turner." Sean practically barked from above, he was glaring down at Will who looked confused, even hurt.

"Will?" She asked as he sat down beside her. "You look like you've seen a ghost – what –"

"It's nothing." He said quickly.

Elizabeth finally climbed down. "Where's Jack?" Will asked as he leaned back, and arm resting behind Ella.

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance." She said, not meeting his gaze. "Go!" She said shrilly.

"That doesn't sound like Jack." Ella stated. "He's not a martyr, he –" She frowned. "Don't – let me go up-deck –"

"I thought you hated him." Sean said.

"I may hate him, but I would NEVER wish him death – just let me go -!"

"Ella." Will said from beside her.

She looked at him, he just shook his head. She looked at the Pearl as they rowed away. "Jack… doesn't deserve to die." She said. "He came back for us – didn't he?"

Will's lips were set in a grim line. He sat up and pulled her to him, hiding her face in his chest, she didn't know why the sudden gesture of affection until she heard a loud roar, a pause, and then something big being pulled underwater. He was trying to keep her from seeing the Pearl go under.

But she still didn't understand why, it was not like she hadn't seen it before. She then frowned. It was the first time it happened to someone who actually meant something in her life. She looked up at him; his eyes were staring unseeingly to the horizon.

"A good captain always goes down with his ship." Sean said.

"Not Jack." Ella said. Her voice was small as she gently pushed herself away from Will. "He's too much of a coward to go down with his ship." She leaned on the edge of the boat and let out a forlorn sigh. "And I don't even like him."

They all let out collective sighs.

"Where do we go?" Sean asked.

"Only one place to go." Gibbs said.

"Tia Dalma." Ella said quietly.

* * *

><p>Her eyes took in the same sight that she had looked upon not too long ago. Except this time there was a melancholy she had never seen before. The people held candles in their hands, and sang songs of sorrow, songs in a language she could not understand. Their eyes were morose, and she could tell they were all sad.<p>

She closed her eyes and listened to the soft singing, which was almost like gentle humming as the boat went foreword through the misty water. She let out a weary sigh; the pain in her back had receded to a dull ache. She felt the boat stop with a small thud; slowly she opened her eyes and sat up. Everyone around her was getting up as they made their way to the shack.

Tia Dalma was waiting for them with a sad face; her eyes took in their states of pain, and filth. "Come in." She said.

Ella sat down and stared at her injured leg, the pant-leg was torn and she could see the gash she had accidentally inflicted upon herself.

"Use this to clean your wound or it will become infected." Tia Dalma instructed as she handed her a bottle and clean cloth as well as bandages.

She sat at the bottom steps of the stairs within that shack and rolled up her pant-leg so she could tend to the wound. Everyone else sat about the room, the air of grievance and pain was everywhere, Ella felt like she couldn't breathe. She saw Sean trying to talk to Elizabeth who looked the most pained out of all of them. She winced as the liquid on the cloth touched her wound, she couldn't help but feel stupid to cause such an injury to herself by accident.

She looked up as she heard a thud. Will sat in a chair with his back to her, his hand went to the knife that was stuck in the table, she watched him pull it out and then throw it down again, over and over until the rhythmic thuds filled the somber air.

Tia Dalma offered the crew drinks; she went to Elizabeth first who shook her head in silent refusal. "Against the cold… and the sorrow." Ella looked up and saw Elizabeth reluctantly take a mug. She then saw Tia Dalma move over to Will. "It's a shame. I know you're thinking that with the Pearl, you could have captured the Devil and set free your father's soul."

He took a mug and Ella saw him lean a bit to his side. "It doesn't matter now. The Pearl is gone, along with its captain."

Gibbs got up to take a mug. "Aye, and already the world seems a bit less bright. He fooled us all right till the end, but I guess that honest streak finally won out." He lifted the mug. "To Jack Sparrow."

"Never another like Captain Jack!" Ragetti said as he toasted the fallen captain as well.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel said.

Ella took a mug. "I still don't like him." She muttered before sipping whatever it was that was in the mug. "But I don't think he deserved to die like that…"

"I echo her sentiment." Sean said as he nodded to Elizabeth.

"He's a good man." Elizabeth said quickly, her voice was choked.

Will leaned forward, "If there was anything could be done to bring him back..." He started gently. "Elizabeth..."

"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma asked. "What would you, what would any of you be willing to do? Would you sail to the ends of the Earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious Pearl?"

Ella looked at the witch with a frown. Slowly around her she could hear the crew agreeing, hope in their voices. They all looked to Ella who put the mug aside. "Is it even possible?" She asked. "To bring back the dead once _he_has claimed them?"

"El." Will said as he looked at her.

She got up and limped over to Tia Dalma. "Answer me, is it possible?"

Tia Dalma nodded. "If you want to see if it is true, than what is your answer?"

Ella shrugged. "Aye?"

"All right!" She said almost excitedly. "But if you're going to brave the weird and haunted shores at World's End, then you will need a captain who knows those waters."

"Who?" She wondered aloud.

They heard someone descending the stairs. Ella turned around, as curious as everyone else that stood within that shack, save for Tia Dalma who had a smirk upon her face.

"Tell me." The person said, he had an apple in his hand, and Jack the Monkey upon his shoulder. "What's become of my ship?" And then he took a bite out of the apple, Jack the Monkey let out a shriek.

"Who are you?" Ella asked.

"No." Will said as he shook his head violently. "No."

"You said you would do anything to get Jack back." Tia Dalma said.

"That was before –" He looked warily at the man. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Aren't we all?" He said. Ella stepped back as the man walked past her. He then stopped and looked at her. "Who in the blazes are you?"

She couldn't find her voice as he stared down at her with his yellowing eyes, intimidating her as she clutched the mug in both her hands. "Ashwood." She said once she was able to speak. "Eleanor Ashwood."

"Ashwood? Ye don't happen to be related to that blighter Nathan Ashwood, do ye?"

"My father." She said.

"I never liked him." He said before he walked off.

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, <strong>and **HeartBreakGirls54 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]  
><strong><br>**I would like to say that when I wrote when Ella fell onto her back, I wrote it with the knowledge of experience, though my experience is not as exciting as the Kraken grabbing me by the ankle and tossing be back down onto deck again X-D So now we move on to AWE!  
><strong><br>**Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	17. Changes

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella sat on the porch, Tia Dalma had provided both her and Elizabeth with spare dresses found in a trunk whose former owner that did not want to know of. Her dress was pulled to her knees and her feet were in the water as she absently stared at the trees, she had been warned of alligators, but she did not pay much heed to that.<p>

"It's late." Someone said.

"Yes." She said. "Go to bed."

Sean sat beside her. "Ella –"

"Go away." She said quietly. A dragonfly flew past them, and then settled on her knee. Ella watched with mild fascination is the creature's wings moved up and down slowly before taking flight again.

"I just… want to tell you something." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"Why… I hate pirates." He said quietly. "Or did."

She was silent.

"My father… he is one." He said.

She looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm not lying." He said dryly.

"Fine, continue."

He let out a sigh. "My father… left us when I was five." He frowned. "But I remember him so… vividly. He was a temperamental man, and was almost always drunk, and I remember he used to hit my mother often." He shrugged. "When he left, I didn't miss him – he was a pirate."

She looked at him, he was frowning. She noticed he had changed since she saw him last in Port Royal. His hair had grown out, and he needed to shave.

"All my life I never met pirates that were not like him. I hated pirates because every time I met one I was reminded of my father."

"I never knew –"

"No one knew, once mother remarried, the man was a gentleman, and I pushed the other from my mind, because as far as I was concerned mother's new husband was and is my father." He looked at her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.

He shrugged and looked down at the water. "I guess I thought, that maybe I'd have a chance with Elizabeth."

She shook her head. "Sean, I told you –"

"I know you told me to stay away." He said then shrugged. "You never stayed away from Turner."

"Yeah, we're friends." She said. "She hardly knew you."

"Well, things are different now." He said. "For both of us, and you know it."

She shook her head silently and watched him get up. The door opened and Sean walked in, but she could hear someone else walk out.

"Your mind is troubled, chil'." Tia Dalma said.

"That is not much of a prediction." She replied dryly. "Everyone's minds are troubled."

The witch said nothing.

Ella looked up at her and frowned. "What is it?"

"You must watch yourself." Tia Dalma said. "Because, I see a sad end for you."

"Sad end –"

"De firs' time ye set foot in dis place, I knew your heart was full of blind revenge, and unrequited love, and I tol' you that if you do not be careful it will be the death of you."

"Yes, you told me." She said with a nod. "And I'm working on that."

"Eleanor Ashwood, your life is a short one." She said. "Come with me."

Ella got up and the skirt's hem fell just above her ankles as she walked barefoot, leaving wet foot prints on the ground. The crew was fast asleep as the pair walked in; Ella followed Tia Dalma to the table she usually sat at. She could hear soft snores and mutters, Cottons Parrot had its head tucked under its wing as it rested upon a perch.

Ella stared at the wood and saw the marks Will's knife left; she put her fingers on it and looked up at the witch. "Why am I here?"

"Do you not wish to know your fortune?" She asked in reply.

"Not really." Ella said. "But since I am here already, and you look so excited, so why not?"

Tia Dalma looked at her with a frown. "Chil', everyt'ing I tell you, you must heed."

"It depends on how clear you choose to tell me everything." Ella countered.

Tia Dalma looked at her. "Give me your palm." She said. Ella shrugged and held out her hand, she watched Tia Dalma grab it and study the lines of her hand. She looked up gravely. "I was right."

"About?"

"You will not live to be old." She said. "You will never 'ave children, and you will die for someone you love."

Ella frowned. "That's a bleak prediction." She said.

"But it is true."

She pulled her hand back. "Is that all you have to tell me?" She asked. "That I am going to die?"

Tia Dalma nodded. "Yes."

"Is that all? No way to fix this?" Ella questioned.

"I'm afraid der is no way."

She nodded and got up. "I see. Do you know when I'm supposedly supposed to die?" She asked.

"It is unknown to me." She replied.

"Then, it might not be true." Ella said. She then turned around and left the shack, maneuvering around sleeping crewmen.

Barbossa had left the Bayou to see if he could find them a ship to carry them to wherever they had yet to plan to go to, and the last time he had been seen was in two days. Will went with him most days as he felt like it was his job to do so, and Elizabeth was hidden places Ella didn't bother to look. Sean would often look or her and not return for several hours.

The days were spent in silent mourning, and that slowly gave in to a rift between everyone. The amount of speech between the men, Ella, and Elizabeth lessened by the day, the days were dark, and so were their dispositions.

She let out a quiet sigh as she wiggled her toes in the water, she suddenly heard Jack the Monkey screech, she looked up and saw Barbossa and Will rowing towards the shack, both men looked haggard and tired. She got up and watched as the boat got to the shack.

She caught the rope that Will threw her and she tied it around the post, securing it as they got off. "Any luck?" She asked them.

Will shook his head wearily. "No."

"Move." Barbossa said as he walked past them. He still did not like Ella, and she imagined that would not change soon.

"They won't give passage to people who do not know their heading." He said.

She frowned and looked at Barbossa. "We have to know where we –"

"He said he had an idea." Will said, causing Ella to look up at him. The captain walked into the shack.

"You should get some sleep." She said as she sat down again.

He let out a sigh and stood behind her. "Ella –" He started. "Your right."

"Are you leaving again tomorrow?" She asked.

"No." He replied. "I think Barbossa gave up looking without having a heading." He put his hand on the top of her head before leaving her.

* * *

><p>The following morning was just as quiet as the day before, except now Jack the Monkey ran about, and Barbossa had shut himself away in Tia's back room to think of a solution to their problem.<p>

Ella had grown tired of sitting on the porch, doing nothing but staring at the water while keeping an eye out for anything that might want to bite her legs off.

She pushed away the bowl of grey goo that was supposed to be breakfast and then she got up, everyone looked at her as she put boots on. "That's it." She said. "I've had enough of this sorry excuse of food, no offense Mr. Gibbs." She said.

"None taken lass, this isn't the best I've ever made, and my worse is certainly better." He stated dully.

"So what do you suggest?" Elizabeth snapped.

Ella looked at Tia Dalma who was constantly looking at the claws. "I'm going to the market."

"You don't even know where it is." Sean said with a scowl.

"You two." She pointed at them. "Feel a bit unnecessary right now." Elizabeth looked insulted.

"I'll go with you." Will said as he got up as well.

"No." She said.

"But you don't know where to go." He stated simply.

She slightly grinned and nodded.

It did not take them long before the pair clambered into the longboat and made their way out of the bayou. She looked up at the sky and smiled as she felt the sun on her face. It had been almost two weeks since she last was in the sun. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her lean against the side of the boat and stare at the sparkling blue water, her hand skimming the calm waters as he rowed on.

"It has been a while since you've been out here." He stated.

"I almost forgot what the breeze feels like." She admitted.

He continued to row. "The town is not very far from here." He said. "Its small and it seems like it's one of the few rare places that the E.I.T.C does not have much influence."

She nodded and watched the water as it rippled hypnotically as the boat moved across the water. They finally reached a sandy beach and both climbed out. "I only see trees." She said as he set the oars in the bottom of the boat.

"Follow me." He said as he gripped her hand in his and led her past the trees to reveal a small town seemingly hidden behind them.

"Hidden." She said.

"Yes." He nodded.

They walked past the trees and to the town. As they walked about the shops, which were few, Will let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she looked at the fruit in one stall.

"… When I elected to come with you… I had a reason." He said.

She looked at him and nodded. "What is it?"

"It's Elizabeth." He said.

"Oh." She sounded a bit disappointed as she turned back to the vendor.

"It seems like… we're just drifting apart." He said. "I just don't – and then your friend, Sean –"

"He isn't my friend, not anymore." She said quietly.

"Whatever he is – he is always with her."

She looked at him. "How would you know that? You're always out with Barbossa."

"I'm not stupid, El." He said.

She sighed. "I haven't spoken to Elizabeth since we arrived at the Bayou." She said. "Personally, I've been avoiding her, she's… changed." She looked away.

"We're drifting apart." He said, sounding pained. "The days we've spent here has done nothing but pull us apart."

She frowned. "Will –"

"Do you think she loved Jack?"

She dropped the peach she was holding as she gawked at him. "Loved… Jack?" She said then laughed. However, his face did not tell her he thought it was amusing. Her face turned serious. "Will, why would you think that?" She asked.

He let out a sigh and confided what he had seen on the Pearl just before he had joined the crew on the long-boat. As he recounted what he had seen, they walked together, now carrying everything Ella had meant to get.

They sat at the beach and stared at the waves. "Maybe?" She said. "But… it just doesn't… make sense."

"What?" He asked.

She hesitated. "Lately she and Sean have been close… I guess…?"

He looked upset.

"Will – I don't understand her." She said. "Once it was James, and then you – Sean… and _Jack_?" She shook her head. "What is in her head?"

"You think she and Sean are…" He trailed off.

"He isn't here for you or me." She commented dryly.

He put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "That it was me who had to tell you this…"

"Don't be." He said, his voice muffled. "I should have guessed something was going on."

She tentatively sat closer to him and put a hand on his arm. "Will… I told him to stay away from her." She said.

He sat up and shook his head. "We should get back." He said as he got up and then pulled her up with him.

"Yeah." She said almost sadly.

He managed a smile as he pushed the boat back into the water and watched her as she got in.

At the shack Ella pushed past everyone, she bore the things she bought, Will and Mr. Gibbs helped. Once they made it into the tiny kitchen Ella turned to Mr. Gibbs and grinned, her hands planted on her hips. "Mr. Gibbs, I trust you can make us something worth eating? I do believe the last time I had a real meal was in the rehearsal dinner for a would be wedding."

He nodded. "Aye, I reckon I can put together something that will feed all of us."

"Wonderful." She said. Then paused. "Where's Will?"

Mr. Gibbs shrugged.

She walked out and saw Tia Dalma walking towards her. "Stop them!"

"Stop –"

"Out there!" Pintel said as he pointed out the door.

She hurriedly made her way to see what was going on only to see Will and Sean fighting, Elizabeth watched with a pale face as the men fell off the platform and into the river. "You must stop them before things turn for the worse!" Tia Dalma exclaimed.

Barbossa roughly pushed her forward; she ran and saw they didn't surface. "Will?" She called out. "Sean?"

Elizabeth stood beside her. They heard a splash and yelling to the side. She quickly jumped into the waters and swam to the source despite her dress which weighed her down. She came to a mossy bank where the men were rolling about, hitting each other. "Stop!" She commanded.

They didn't pay her any heed.

"Will!" She said as she pulled him by the back of his shirt. "Stop this!"

Will's elbow flew back, she had to fall back to avoid getting hit. She watched angrily. "STOP!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Both men froze and looked at her, her brown hair was almost black because of the water that dripped from it, they saw a vein jumping in her jaw. Will got up and looked ashamed of his actions, Sean on the other hand looked at her. "You can never shut your mouth, can you?" He spat. "Of course, not when it comes to dearest William here."

"Do not speak to her like that." Will threatened.

Sean smirked up at him. "Do you think yourself innocent of this, Turner? She's just as bad as I am."

Ella got up and gripped Will's wrist, she shook her head with a frown. "Sean –"

"And you." He pointed at Ella. "You think he's such a saint? He threw the first punch." He said before walking off.

"Come on." She said to Will.

They sat on the porch; Ella had noticed that he had an injury on his face, probably from when they fell off the porch. "Was he telling the truth?" She asked quietly as she inspected the wound.

He didn't reply.

"Will." She stated quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it." He said.

"Please?" She said.

He let out a sigh. "After we got back… I went to talk to Elizabeth… about Sean." He said.

"Will…" Her tone was lightly scolding.

"She wouldn't talk to me, so I bluntly stated the fact the two have gotten close." He frowned. "She looked… so insulted… so… hurt at the accusation, but she did not deny anything… instead she said something about how she could not stand to be engaged to someone who would accuse her of…" His frown deepened. "So she broke it off."

"I'm so sorry." She said as she sat back once she decided the wound wasn't very bad.

"And then _he_ began to gloat, and said that –" He stopped himself.

"Said…?"

He shook his head. "You don't need to know what he said, it doesn't concern you."

"Oh." She said. "I see."

He shook his head.

"She loved you." She said. "I know that because she wouldn't shut up about you back before all of this."

"Exactly, before all of this." He said as he got up and leaned on the rail.

She got up to stand beside him. "I could give you words of wisdom." She said. "But… whatever I say… won't work."

He looked at her.

She stood straight and began to walk away. "I'm sorry?" She offered.

"That sorry… doesn't sound very genuine." He said.

"It is honestly the best I can offer." She said. "Especially after that childish display."

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, <strong>**HeartBreakGirls54, **and** Saya Hikari Uchiha **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

Ok, so this chapter is a bit dramatic... I study Drama, so what do you expect? X-D Maybe it's too much? Idk, you be the judge of that.

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	18. Singapore

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>The tension had increased tenfold Sean was often seen glaring at Will while he sported a black eye, and Elizabeth no longer regarded Ella as her friend. Will had closed off from everyone and was not often seen sitting alone the same place Ella spent most of her days.<p>

Barbossa was still thinking about what to do, and the crew was getting restless, they had heard of Beckett's power that had increased with his possession of the Heart, and that meant he had the power to control Davy Jones.

She walked out of the shack and went to where Will was sitting. "Your legs might get bitten off." She said as she sat beside him.

"We told you that many times, you never listened." He said.

She grinned and put her feet in the water. "True." She said.

"Anything new?" He asked.

She shook her head. "When I went to ask Barbossa what was going on he yelled at me and then threw an apple at my forehead." She pointed to a small circular pink mark right above her left eyebrow. "I don't think he likes me very much." She said with another small grin. "It's actually quite amusing."

"I think it's the fact you didn't know him when you first met him." He said as he inspected the mark with gentle fingers.

She swatted his hand away. "I think it has something to do with Nathan." She said, and then noticed the look on his face. "What? I hardly knew the guy, still don't know him… he doesn't deserve daddy status."

"You can be so strange at times." He said.

"All a part of my charm, I guess." She said.

"Heavens!" They heard someone exclaim.

They turned to see Gibbs walking out. "Barbossa wants the pair of yer." He said.

They got up and walked into the house, everyone looked apprehensively at Barbossa who held up a man. "What is it?" Ella asked.

"We have a heading." Barbossa stated simply.

"To where?" Will asked as he placed his hand on Ella's shoulder.

"Singapore." Barbossa said. "There is a pirate Lord there who has scrolls that lead to places, even places beyond this world –"

"Shhh." Ella said, silencing Barbossa.

"What is it?" He asked sounding annoyed.

"The people in the Bayou." She said as she ran out again, her hands planted on the rail. "Listen!"

"_Yo, ho all hands,  
>Hoist the colors high,<br>Heave ho, thieves and beggars_,  
><em>Never shall we die<em>."

"I know this song." She whispered. "Isabella taught it to me, she said, in time of dire need, when the pirates had a need to come together as one to fight a greater evil, they would sing this song…" She then began to sing quietly, as if to remember the song, her voice was quiet and they could barely hear her as they listened to the people in the Bayou.

"_Some men have died,  
>And some are alive,<br>And others sail on the sea,  
>With the keys to the cage...<br>And the Devil to pay,  
>We lay to Fiddler's Green!<em>

_The Bell has been raised,  
>From it's watery grave...<br>Do you hear it's sepulchral tone?  
>We are a call to all,<br>Pay heed the squall,  
>And turn your sail toward home!<em>

_Yo Ho haul, together,  
>Hoist the colors high<br>Heave Ho, thieves and Beggars,  
>Never Shall We Die<em>!"

"What does it mean?" Elizabeth asked as the people in the Bayou sang it again in their haunting voices.

"It means we have to find Jack now, as he is a pirate Lord." Barbossa said.

"Jack?" Ella scoffed. "A pirate Lord?"

Barbossa glared at her.

"When do we leave?" Will asked.

"We have to get to Singapore as quickly as we can." Barbossa replied.

"And before it is too late." Tia Dalma added.

"That means we can finally tell someone our heading." Will said.

"Aye." Barbossa said before turning on his heel and going back into the shack.

"I guess that means we finally get to leave." Ella said as she looked up at Will.

* * *

><p>Now that they had a destination, it was not long before they found someone to take them to Singapore, once there they were able to find a place just outside the city in a dingy inn that's name was written in a language they did not understand.<p>

Ella, Will, Elizabeth, Sean, Barbossa, and Tia Dalma stood in a room. "The scrolls are a temple." Barbossa said. "Here." He said pointing to a map of the city.

"I can go to procure them." Will said as he looked up at Barbossa.

They looked at him. "Are you sure you can do it?" Ella asked.

"Can you do it without getting caught?" Sean said.

Will ignored Sean as he nodded to Ella.

"Ok, what are ye waiting for?" Barbossa snapped. "It's not like we have time, and we have to make an audience with Captain Sao Feng."

Will nodded and got up as he made his way to the door.

"Will, wait -!" She said as she stumbled over the leg of the chair while walking over to him.

"What is it?" He asked, looking concerned.

"Just… be safe?" She asked.

He smiled gently and nodded before walking out the door. She went to it and shut it close. She then turned around and looked at them. "So, Sao Feng?"

"Aye." Barbossa said.

About five hours later Ella and Barbossa were walking through the streets of Singapore, Sean was just behind them. "So what now?" Ella asked.

"He told us he would meet us at this time, don't ya listen ya daft wench?"

"I don't think she could hear over how worried she is about Will." Sean said dryly.

"I believe your comment is not wanted at this time." She snapped back. "Barbossa, what if Will isn't lucky and Sao Feng suspects out treachery?"

"Let's not call it that, treachery is such a harsh word."

She gave Barbossa a look as he said this. "I am serious. What if something happens?"

"I trust Master Turner to do what he has to do." Barbossa said.

"He is quite dedicated." Sean said. "To a fault, actually."

"Sean!" Ella snapped.

He held his hands up.

Barbossa looked annoyed. "If ye can't stick together I wouldn't mind te leave yer here." He spat.

"I can hear Elizabeth." She said.

"… the bell has been raised from its watery grave;  
>hear its sepulchral tone?<br>A call to all, pay heed the squall,  
>and turn your sails toward home!<br>Yo ho, all together, hoist the colors high. Yo ho, thieves..."

"Her voice is terrible." Ella commented.

"Like you're any better?" Sean quipped.

"Shut up!" Barbossa hissed.

They glared at each other before continuing on in silence. Someone was talking to Elizabeth. "A dangerous song to be singing, for anyone ignorant of its meaning. Particularly a woman, particularly a woman alone."

"What makes you think she's alone?" Barbossa asked.

"You protect her?" The man asked them as they joined Elizabeth who pulled out a knife and held it to the man's neck.

"What makes you think I need protecting?" Ella couldn't help but roll her eyes just a little bit.

"Your master's expectin' us. An unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meetin'." Barbossa said.

Elizabeth released the man and stepped back. "Hide!" Ella hissed as she quickly stepped back into the shadows, just above them a group of British Soldiers passed. She looked up and frowned. "Are they everywhere?"

"What do you think?" The man asked. "With Beckett ruling de seas, we have nowhere to go, not even in our own cities."

She frowned and followed them as they walked on, the streets were grungy and the path was uneven, everywhere Ella looked she saw people with haunted faces that were as filthy as they street they walked through. Women looked wounded and terrified, and there were no children. She couldn't believe the sate of corruption the city was in. "Is there no one to clean up these streets?" She asked.

They all stopped and looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

"This be a pirate port." Barbossa said. "No one will –"

"They don't have to look terrified." She said, interrupting him. "They –"

"Captain Sao Feng is not a kind man." Barbossa spat.

She shook her head as they continued to walk. "Have you heard anything from Will?" She asked the much older man.

"I trust young Turner to acquire the charts, and you to remember your place in the presence of Captain Sao Feng." Barbossa replied.

"When have I ever been out of place, Hector?" She asked with a sly grin.

"You will do well to remember that that… humor… of yours will not amuse the Captain." Barbossa growled.

"Is he that terrifying?" Elizabeth asked.

Barbossa looked up at her. "He's much like myself, but absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play."

"Fair play." Ella said. "I see."

They kept walking until they reached a place that had steam curling from the filthy roof, outside two women of unsavory countenance stared at Sean, Ella, and Elizabeth's with frowns that frightened Ella ever so slightly. The man that led them knocked on a door, in it a slot appeared in which they could see a man's eyes.

"Hoi." Their leader said.

The door opened to admit them.

The room was humid. Ella's hair, which had been in a loose ponytail had begun to puff out on her back. Elizabeth and Sean looked at it oddly as she walked in front of them.

The man stopped Ella, and looked at Elizabeth. "You think that because they are women we will not suspect them of treachery?"

"That is such a harsh word." Ella said. "But, your rules –" She removed her coat to reveal a worn grey silk tunic and black tights, at her hips there was a belt that bore a sword, a gun, and two grenades. "I didn't even want those there." She said as she removed the belt and handed it to them, she then bent down and removed her boots and placed them on the table. "And really, I don't think I can hide much in this." She gestured to herself. They deemed her safe and let her step beside Barbossa.

Barbossa and Sean put everything they had with them.

Elizabeth, however, was a different story. She gave them the guns she had on her person, and her sword and then prepared to move past them to join Ella who had put her hair into a tight bun.

The man stopped her. "Remove… please." The way he said it made Ella's skin crawl. She removed her hat and coat to reveal a leather harness that held several more guns and bombs on it; she took that off and placed it on the table. She hesitated and then pulled out a large gun from her boot. Ella absently rubbed her wrist as she remembered the jolt it gave her when she test-fired it, and Gibbs still would not speak to her.

She made to move again, but the man stopped her again. "Remove… please." His voice was sly, and it disgusted the women to no end.

They walked into the room; they had been given light shoes that the women wore in the bathhouse. "I told you." Ella said as she comfortably walked beside Elizabeth who was clutching her tunic, her legs bare as she walked.

The place was just as grungy as outside, men sat in massive wooden tubs; some were large enough to fill one on their own. She saw that some of them had barnacles on their backs or shoulders all in all it was a strange site to behold, and Ella could not say she enjoyed it.

Sean bristled a bit at the sight and he walked a bit closer to Elizabeth.

She sent a glare to Ella who shrugged and continued to walk with a steady gait. They stopped and looked upon a man who had his back to them. As the man began to turn Ella saw Barbossa bow with a flourish; she decided to imitate him, her hand purposely knocking into his face. He sent her a glare as they got up. "Captain Barbossa. Welcome to Singapore." He said. He looked to his side. "More Steam."

"I understand you have a request to make of me." Sao Feng said.

"More of a proposal to put to ye." Barbossa said. "I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of ship and a crew."

"Our last one got eaten, I don't know if you heard." Ella offered.

A swift elbow to her ribs from Barbossa shut her up.

"This is an odd coincidence." Sao Feng said. Ignoring Ella's comment.

"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes." Ella said. "That is exactly it –" Barbossa elbowed her in the ribs again. She stepped away from him and rubbed her sore ribcage.

"No." He said. "Because, earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off with these." Ella didn't know if her face paled, but her stomach did a small flip. When she saw him holding up what looked like a wooden scroll she knew Will had been captured. "The navigational charts." He said. "The route to the farthest gate. Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?"

"It would strain credulity at that." Barbossa said.

Sao Feng motioned to his men and they pulled out someone from what looked like a well, Ella didn't even flinch when she saw it was Will. "This is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?"

The four shook their heads, now knowing anything they could do could cost the life of Will.

"Then I guess he has no further need for it." He pulled out a strange looking weapon from his belt and stabbed Will. Elizabeth gasped loudly, and Ella took an involuntary step forward, one of her hands had lightly risen up, and her face had gone pale.

Sao Feng had pulled away to reveal Will was fine. "So, you come into my city, and betray my hospitality –"

"That does not mean he is with us." Ella said, her voice wasn't as strong as it should have been. "It just means that we value the life –"

"Sao Feng, I assure you, I had no idea..." Barbossa said, interrupting Ella from a tirade.

"That he would get caught?" Sao Feng yelled. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones' locker. When I cannot help but wonder, why?"

Barbossa pulled out a coin from his coat pocket, a Piece of Eight and then threw it to Sao Feng who caught it and held it to his ear. Ella didn't get why he did that, she glanced at Will who was watching as well. "The song has been sung." Barbossa said. "The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords you must honor the call."

"More Steam." Sao Feng commanded. There was a prolonged moment of silence as the humidity increased. Ella could feel her shirt stick to her back and she felt slightly faint. She never was a fan of places with exaggerated humidity, such as the place they were in at the moment.

"There's a price on all our heads, it is true. Since it seems that the only way a pirate can turn a profit anymore is by betraying other pirates..." Sao Feng finally spoke. Ella longed for cool air, and she fought the urge to fan herself.

"The first Brethren Court gave us rule of the seas. That rule has been challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett." Barbossa said.

"Rule of the seas." Ella questioned. "From who? Who could have ruled the seas in all –" She glared as Barbossa's elbow found her ribcage yet again.

"Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren Court? What can any of us do?" Sao Feng questioned loudly. Ella could hear fear in his voice, and desperation, and anger, and the tone of a man who was cornered.

"You can fight!" Elizabeth said almost shrilly as she stepped forward, one of Sao Feng's men grabbed her shoulder. "Get off me!" She shrugged him off. "You are Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore! Would you have that era come to an end on your watch? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!"

Ella nodded slightly.

Sao Fen stepped down. "Elizabeth Swann, there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye does not go wanting." He said.

"Oh, you can have her if that is what you mean, she's been too much trouble ever since –" She winced as Barbossa elbowed her again. This time Sean had joined in from her other side. "Would you stop that?" She hissed to Barbossa.

"I told you your comments are unnecessary!" Barbossa hissed back.

"You said my humor is –" She stopped his elbow. "Stop that!" She glared at Sean as his elbow found her side again.

"Shut it!" Barbossa hissed.

"But I cannot help but notice." Sao Feng said, interrupting the silent fight happening between the two. "You have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' locker?"

They looked at Sao Feng, but Will answered. "Jack Sparrow." Ella's head snapped to the identical girls behind Sao Feng who giggled at this. "He is one of the Captain Lords."

Sao Feng ran his hand over his scarred bald head. "The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead . . . is so I can send him back myself!"

Ella studied him, ever since she had first started the voyage she had learned something. Men always have a reason to hold hatred and anger. She wondered what it was that Jack had inflicted upon Sao Feng to bring that upon him. She watched him circle the bathhouse slowly.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So we must go and get him back…" Barbossa said.

"So, you admit, you have deceived me." He said slowly. "Weapons!" He suddenly commanded.

Men got out of the tubs, swords and other weapons at the ready.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable…" As Barbossa said this, the four stood warily studying everyone around them.

Ella had to hide her amusement as two swords flew up into her hands; she gripped them as best as she could.

Sao Feng quickly grabbed a man from behind and held a weapon to his throat. "Drop your weapons or I kill the man!"

"Kill him, he's not our man." Barbossa spat.

"If he isn't your man." Will said as everyone turned to look at him. "And he isn't ours… then who it he with?"

As if to answer Will's question the doors were blasted down and Soldiers appeared, all aiming guns at them. "I think that answers your question, Turner."

Ella ducked as a flurry of motion signaled the beginning of a fray. She quickly ran to Will and brought the sword down on the ropes that bound him to the beam. "Duck!" He yelled.

She obeyed and felt the wood swing over her as he knocked down three men with the wood before he threw it aside and then he pulled her up and took one of the swords from her, leaving her with one.

They fought their way through the city, Ella's blade met with the blade of a bayonet, the barrel of the gun aimed right at her face, she looked up at the soldier who looked like he was just about to shoot her when he fell; someone had shot him before he had the chance to shoot her.

She looked up and saw Mr. Gibbs holding his gun out. "I guess that means I'm forgiven for that little mishap, ey?" She asked.

He shrugged with a nod.

"Watch out!" She gasped as a soldier came up from behind Gibbs, she quickly pushed him out of the way and fought, her blade easily biting the flesh of his neck. She watched him fall to the ground.

"I guess we're even." Gibbs said.

She nodded and then ran off to try and find her other companions. She let out a shriek as someone's hand slapped over her mouth and dragged her back.

"Shh! It's me!" Will hissed.

She looked up at him and pulled his hand down. "What are you doing?"

"Follow me." He said.

They ran silently until they came across Sao Feng who gripped Will by his vest and shoved him against a wall. "It is an odd coincidence that the East India Trading Company finds me the day you show up in Singapore." He said angrily.

"It is coincidence only." Will said as he put the knife to Sao Feng's throat. "If you want to make a deal with Beckett, you need what I offer."

"You cross Barbossa; you're willing to cross Jack Sparrow. Why should I expect any better?" Sao Feng spat out.

"I need the Black Pearl to free my father." He pulled the knife away and showed it to him. "You're helping me get it."

"And the woman?" Sao Feng said as he sent a glare to Ella. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"I want to ensure her safety." Will replied. "And that she gets a chance at what she originally set out to do."

"That is?" Sao Feng said.

"Revenge."

* * *

><p>Ella walked silently beside Will as they made it to the others. "You got the charts?" Barbossa asked.<p>

"And better yet, a ship and a crew." Will replied.

"Where's Sao Feng?" Elizabeth asked.

"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove."

"This way, quick." The man from before said.

They followed him.

"What is your name?" Ella asked.

"Tai Huang."

The ship they went to was named the Hai Peng; it was a simple fishing boat that was big enough to accommodate everyone. Will turned to Ella who was quiet as he held out his hand; she frowned and climbed aboard herself. Sean smirked his way as he saw this.

He watched her as she joined Tia Dalma at the bow, Elizabeth joined them as well as they readied to cast off. "There's no place left for Sao Feng to cower. Do you think he will honor the call?" She asked.

"I cannot say." Tia Dalma replied. "There is an evil on these seas that even the most staunch and bloodthirsty pirates have come to fear."

Ella gripped the rail tightly in her hands. "The noose is tightening."

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan,<strong>and** JainaZekk621 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

Ah, more drama, and an action scene... It took ALL of my will power (haha, Will.) to not make it as greusome as I usually make action scenes very bloody... (I am a major Ridley Scott fan, so... yeah.)

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	19. Confessions

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

Fluff ahead, just thought I'd say that... in my opinion this is a pretty fluffy chapter X-D

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><p>It had been days since they left Singapore, and Ella was avoiding Will. He was growing tired of the odd game of cat and mouse they seemed to be playing on that tiny ship.<p>

She sat below deck in the tiny room that was supposed to be the galley, in her hands she loosely held some chopsticks and she stared into a bowl that had some noodles in it. She let out a sigh and set her hand and the utensils down.

"El?" Will said as he joined her.

She looked up at him. "Will –" She made to get up.

"Just stay." He said.

She looked at him tiredly. "Will – I just –"

"You've been avoiding me." He said. "If I have wronged you in any way – if –"

"Yes." She said. "You have wronged me."

He looked like he hadn't been expecting her to say that. "What?"

"Why did you do it Will?" She asked. "Take me with you to see him?"

"El –" He started quietly.

"I need to go –"

He put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from going anywhere. She looked up at him as he frowned. "Ella." He said.

"Is that all you think I want?" She asked quietly. "Revenge?"

"It is the only thing you have wanted since we left Port Royal."

She looked hurt. But nodded slowly. "Yes, that is true." She said quietly.

"What is this about?" He asked.

"This is about the heavy feeling in my heart, the feeling of betrayal, this… act of mutiny we have committed against everyone." She whispered furiously. "You sold everyone, Will, everyone! Jack, Barbossa… Sean and Elizabeth –" She shook her head. "Being at sea… it has changed you."

"But I did it for you." He said in a quiet but almost furious whisper as he gently shook her by her shoulder. "For us!"

She shook her head. "Will, I will forever live with this on my conscience."

"Ella –" He started.

"Will." She said with a frown. "I came here for other reasons, reasons – at the time seemed a bit selfish –" She looked away from him. "I don't know how long it has been since I last thought of Annabelle." She pulled away from him and sat down.

He sat at her feet, his hands gripping hers as they rested on her lap.

"I am glad." She said quietly. "That you would trust me enough… to let me know what it is you are planning… But –" She looked at him, her expression was unreadable. "Had I been Elizabeth… would you have told me?" She asked.

"What?" He said.

"Would you have said anything to Elizabeth?" She asked slowly.

He looked up at her and shook his head. "No."

"Why?" She asked.

"It is my burden to bear." He said.

"Why me?" She asked. "Why would you feel that I must share this burden."

"Because…" He started. "It is our burden together. Since the start."

"Will." She whispered quietly.

"Ella, since we were taken onto the Dutchman, you have been nothing but patient with me, and you have been with me every step of the way, confiding in me the one thing no other woman would dare to confide." He said. "You have trusted me."

She let out a sigh as she looked away. "And, do you mean to say in a very roundabout way, that you trust me as well?" She asked.

"Ella." He said quietly. "I –"

She got up and put her hands up. "Just… don't." She said. "Don't say things you do not mean." She shook her head.

He got up as well. "Ella –" He started.

"Will." She said as she looked at him. "Now is not the time – or the place to be selfish."

"We could die tomorrow." He started. "And –"

"Then so be it." She said.

She made to walk away but he gripped her wrist. "I have been unfair to you." He said quietly.

Her shoulders sagged but she did not move to look at him, she just stood there. "You haven't." She said. "I never expected anything from you." She frowned.

He stared at the back of her head. "Look at me." He said. His grip loosened on her wrist so that her hand could slide into his.

"You are here out of need." She whispered.

"Need?" He questioned.

"You don't have Elizabeth at your side." She said. "I can't remember a time, through-out the whole time I have known you, when you did not love her." She slowly pulled her hand out of his, but he didn't let her. "Anything you say right now will seem –" She shrugged.

He pulled her closer to him and made her turn around, his free hand cupping her cheek as his thumb brushed it. "El." He said quietly.

She let out another sigh as she looked up at him. "Will – I have something I need to tell you… I –"

"Oh." Someone said as they jumped apart, Sean was there looking at them with an odd smirk.

"I have to go." Ella said, her face was red as she turned her back to Will as she pushed past Sean and went up-deck.

She walked outside and frowned as she looked up at the blue sky. Tia Dalma was watching her from the distance as she went about, trying to find something to do on the tiny ship.

That night, she sat at the bow and stared at the seemingly endless world before her. The air had a chill to it so she wore her coat as she watched her breath form tiny clouds of mist that faded as soon as they appeared. She felt like a solitary soul in this peaceful night.

She felt someone sit beside her, she didn't have to stir to know who it was. She looked up at the stars. "Once, someone told me that sometimes the stars we look at are dead." She said quietly as she looked down at Will.

"And how can we see them, even if they are dead?" He asked.

"The universe is a vast place." She said. "I imagine that by the time we finally see the light, the star would have been long gone. Like a message sent to a loved one from someone who has passed on." She looked up again and frowned. "Do you think people are like that?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" He said.

"I mean, do you think people can continue to live on, even when they are dead?" She said quietly.

"I think… it is the person's memory that lives on…" He said. "Their light in the hearts of everyone who ever loved them."

She looked down at her hands and nodded.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Do you think, I will be remembered if I ever –"

"Why are you saying this?" He asked as he moved to sit in front of her.

She hugged herself and looked to the side.

There was silence. He let out a breath and looked at her. "Eleanor."

She looked at him; she could not remember a time where he had ever called her by her proper name.

"Tell me why you are speaking of this." He said calmly.

She looked down again and nodded. "I…" She started quietly. "It's just something Tia Dalma said." She said with a shrug. "She said that… I would die young." She said. "… and… for the person I love."

"And you believed her?" He questioned.

She shrugged. "I don't know." She said. "Barbossa said she is rarely wrong –"

He gently made her look up. "I don't think that will happen to you." He said.

"And why not?" She asked. "Since Jack's death, everything has gone from bad – to worse – and –"

"Because I won't let it happen." He said.

She stared at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"I won't let you die." He said slowly. "I promise you –"

"Don't… make a promise you can't keep." She said. "It is not your promise to make."

"Then who's is it?" He questioned. "If not me, than who?"

He moved to sit beside her again and then took her in his arms. She was tense at first, unsure of what to do, she then let herself relax and lean against him. "You keep promising people to save them." She said. "I'm afraid one day you'll be too busy to think about your own life."

He was silent.

She let out a sigh. "Will, this – this is my problem." She said. She gently pulled away from him.

He looked at her with a frown.

"This whole time, I have wanted nothing but revenge." She said. "And it moved me this whole time – I wanted nothing more than to slip my knife between the ribs of that horrible man." She shrugged. "I guess I lost myself… it is said for every wish there is a price that must be paid… I wonder what mine would be." She looked down at her hands, her nails had been bitten and they were grimy and uneven.

Will's much larger hand gripped her, lacing her fingers through his. She let out a quiet sigh. 

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><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan,<strong>and** JainaZekk621 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

Fluffy chapter is bad. I don't like writing fluffy chapters because sometimes I get carried away and it gets a tad bit cliche... but it had to be written... which is why this chapter is short.

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	20. Davy Jones' Locker

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

Fluff ahead, just thought I'd say that... in my opinion this is a pretty fluffy chapter X-D

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><p>The chill reminded her of the voyage with Jack before they came across the Naftes. She was wrapped in a heavy coat; the strands of hair that hung about her face were frozen as she walked about. Her boots shuffled against the frozen floor. She stopped when she saw Jack the Monkey shivering; she picked the creature up and put it in her coat to keep it warm.<p>

"No one said anything about cold." Pintel complained.

"There must be a good reason for our suffering." Ragetti said.

"Why don't that ol' bayou woman bring back Jack, the same way she brought back Barbossa?" Pintel questioned.

Tia Dalma appeared beside them. "Because Barbossa was only dead." She said harshly. "Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of death, but punishment. The worst fate a person can bring upon himself. Stretching on forever. " She paused with a solemn nod. "That's what awaits at Davy Jones' locker."

"I knew there was a good reason." Ragetti said.

Ella chuckled. "Are you that cold, lads?" She asked. "Once the crew sailed so far up north that is was snowing on deck."

They looked at her as she walked by. She was drawn to Will and Tai Huang who were staring at the charts. "Nothing here is set. These can't be as accurate as modern charts." Will said as Ella joined them.

"No." Tai Huang said. "But it leads to more places."

"Worlds?" She asked.

"Yes." Tai Huang said with a nod.

"Over the edge over again." Will read. "Sunrise sets, a flash of green." He looked up at Ella who merely shrugged.

"I have no idea." She said.

Jack the Monkey poked his head out of Ella's coat; Will picked the charts up and got up. "Captain Barbossa, care in interpret?"

Barbossa took the charts and studied them, he then looked at Mr. Gibbs. "Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?"

Gibbs joined them "I reckon I seen my fair share. It happens on rare occasion." He said, his voice was at the tone that Ella recognized as his story-telling voice. "At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it, some claim to have seen it that ain't. Some say..."

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Pintel said.

Gibbs glared at him.

"Sorry." Pintel said with an apologetic smile.

Barbossa gave the rudder a little turn. "Trust me, young Master Turner; it's not gettin' to the land of the dead that's the problem. It's gettin' back."

Will and Ella looked at each other with frowns.

The cold had passed in a couple of days; Ella had gratefully shed her coat and wore a worn shawl about her shoulders for warmth. She sat beside Tia Dalma and crossed her legs as they stared out onto the never-ending ocean. "What is it like?" She asked. "In the locker?"

The witch looked at her. "That will not be your fate." She said. "Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity." Ella replied. "What is Jack going through?"

"Fo' a man you claim to dislike, you worry fo'." She said.

Ella shrugged. "I would not wish death upon anyone… well…"

"Although it is not on de fron' of your min', you still think of extracting revenge." Tia Dalma said.

Ella shrugged. "It is all I ever had."

Tia Dalma looked to the sea again, the sky was flawlessly blue, the water was still and it reflected it with a calm perfect beauty. "The Locker, it is a place of suffering and pain, a place of punishment."

"Who is Davey Jones to judge people?" She asked. "He is an evil man, what gives him the right to judge the evil?"

Tia Dalma looked at her again.

She pulled her knees up to her knees. "I don't understand, why do men feel that they are so great to judge people and take their lives as if they are a god walking amongst mortals?" She questioned. "What makes them think that they will be left unchecked for all the evil they do?"

The Witch said nothing. Ella got up. "I am sorry, it's just – with everything going on, and it seems so strange." She then walked off.

Night had fallen and Ella found Will standing alone by the rail, a hand gripped some rope while the other was planted firmly on his hip. He let out a sigh. "What's wrong?" She asked.

He turned quickly, looking surprised.

"Calm down." She said with a slight smile as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm sorry." He said; his hand went to her cheek as his thumb brushed her cheek. She managed a small smile as she looked up at him.

"It's so quiet." She said as she gently pulled away from him and then sat on the rail. "Too quiet."

"It has been for the longest time." He agreed. "Everyone is waiting for the worst."

She nodded slowly with an almost pained expression. "Yes." She said.

"Ella…" He started.

"What is that?" She asked.

"What?"

"That sound – don't you hear it?"

"I…" He started. They froze and then both ran over to Barbossa. "Barbossa, Ahead." Will said.

"Aye, we're good and lost now." Barbossa said.

"Lost?" Elizabeth asked.

"What?" Sean said, sounding outraged.

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked.

"For certain you have to be lost to find the places can't be found." He said. "Elseways, everyone would know where it was."

"We're gaining speed." Mr. Gibbs said.

Ella ran to the bow and stood there staring before her, behind her the crew was yelling in panic as they rushed about deck, trying to secure themselves and whatever needed to be secured.

"Good God." She said in a whisper as she saw what awaited them.

The water's speed only increased, and seemed to disappear before her; the horizon was met with nothingness. "Ella!" Someone yelled.

Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, it was a waterfall so big and steep Ella did not think they would survive it. The ship began to spin wildly in the gushing waters; she gripped a rope tightly and could hear the others let out terrified screams.

Her eyes widened as the ship sailed right over the edge, nothing but a black nothingness met them as they fell into the abyss. 

* * *

><p>It could have been a dream, a crazy fantastical dream like those stories she read all her life. She was home in her own bed, her father was alive, and Annabelle wasn't to die. She was to get up, get dressed and wear that smile she always did, enjoy tea with one of her many friends, and not have a worry in the world. She would walk about with a secret only she knew.<p>

She would go to the smithy to see Will after dinner; she would watch him work diligently as she had done so since they first became friends. And she would be happy. Her world was a happy place, where she was away from the world that would have brought out the worst in her, and she was content.

Her dream was shattered when she felt a calloused hand pat her cheek. She shook her head and slowly opened her eyes, the blinding sun beat harshly upon them. "What?" She questioned. Her voice was dry and it hurt to speak.

She then felt someone kick her side. "Is she dead?"

Sean's voice brought a scowl upon her face. "Did you kick me?" She croaked.

"She _is_ alive." Sean said. "Look at that."

"Why would I be dead?" She groaned and sat up. Her hair was wet and had a lot of sand in it.

"This thing hit your head." Sean held up a long piece of wood that had blood on it. "And then Turner, here, had to drag you out of the water to save you."

She looked at Will who was sitting beside her, looking at her with a concerned gaze. She reached back and felt dried blood in her hair. Her hand fell to her lap as she saw Elizabeth look around. "I don't see Jack." She said. "I don't see anyone."

Ella was confused. Where were they? She got up on unsteady legs and hobbled over past everyone to a sand dune. She stared up at it and blinked. "Where are we?"

A shadow loomed above her, she looked up and her eyes widened as she quickly stumbled out of the way. The Pearl sailed right past her in the sand and made its way into the water behind them. "Boat." She heard Ragetti say behind her.

"Impossible." Tai Huang said.

"I now believe nothing is impossible with Jack." Ella said weakly as she watched the ship, her mind racing as she realized had she not moved she would have been flattened by it.

"Slap me thrice and hand me to me momma, it's Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed.

They saw Jack stepping out of a long-boat. "It's the Captain!" Pintel exclaimed.

"A sight for sore eyes!" Mr. Gibbs exclaimed happily as everyone ran his way. "Jack!"

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack said. It almost sounded like he was making sure the man he beheld was real.

"Aye Captain?" He sounded confused.

"I thought so. I expect you can account for your actions, then?" Jack said.

They all looked at each other as Ella got up and walked over to them. She flinched as Jack walked right up to her and stared her in the face. "Elly! Ain't you a sight for sore eyes!" He said as he got too close.

She pushed him away. "Yeah, and I still don't like you." She said.

He spotted Barbossa. "Ah, Hector, it's been too long, hasn't it?" He said with an easy smile as if he were greeting a very old friend.

"Aye, Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me." Barbossa said.

"No I didn't." Jack said. He then noticed Tia Dalma. "Ah, Tia Dalma, out and about, eh? You lend an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium."

"He thinks we're a Hallucination." Will said.

Jack walked over to him. "William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help to rescue a certain distressing damsel?" He paused. "Or rather a damsel in distress? Either one." He said while shaking his head.

"No." Will said.

"Then you wouldn't be here. So you can't be here. Q.E.D. you're not really here." Jack said loudly.

"Jack, this is real, we're here." Elizabeth said.

Jack looked at her oddly, a frown creeping upon his face before he ran back to Gibbs. Ella saw them muttering.

"We're here to rescue you." Elizabeth tried again.

"Have you, now? That's very kind of you. But seeing as I possess a ship and you don't, it seems as though you're the ones in need of rescuing and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood." He said.

"Jack." Ella said. "Don't be daft –"

"I see my ship…" Barbossa started and pointed to the Pearl. "Right there."

"Can't see it, must be a tiny thing behind the Pearl." Jack said as he squinted at the Pearl.

Will looked at Ella and then made his way to Jack. "Jack. Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones. He controls the Flying Dutchman." He said.

"He's taking over the Seas." Elizabeth said.

"The song has already been sung. The Brethren Court is called." Tia Dalma said as they all crowded Jack.

"I Leave you people alone for a minute and look what's happened, everything's gone to pot." Jack said.

Ella made her way over, to join in on what they were all attempting. "Jack, it pains me to admit this, but the world needs you… badly."

"And you need a crew." Will said.

Jack turned to them. "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded."

They all looked at Elizabeth. Will looked shocked and confused. Sean, on the other hand, looked upset.

"Oh, she's not told you?" He said with a smirk. "You'll have loads to talk about while you're here." He then turned to Tia Dalma. "As for you..."

"Now, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, at the time." Tia said with a coy smile.

"All right, fair enough, you're in." He said with a grin. He walked down looking at everyone. "Don't need you, you scare me." He said looking at Ragetti. "Gibbs, you can come. Marty. Cotton. Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to. Elly, don't really need you, you are a little bit mean… then again I have no choice so I don't have much choice –" He paused at Tai Huang "Who are you?"

"Tai Huang. These are my men." He said.

"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack asked.

"With the highest bidder." Tai Huang said.

"I have a ship."

"That makes you the highest bidder."

"Good man. Weigh anchor, all hands, prepare to make sail." He commanded.

Ella didn't know where to go, she looked at Will and the others, and then at Jack. Jack pulled out his compass and stared at it before snapping it shut and letting out a sigh.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" Barbossa asked. 

* * *

><p>She looked around the ship; it looked the way it did before the Kraken attacked it. Everything was whole and perfect. She heard someone yelling below deck as Jack and Barbossa were contending over Captaincy. Will could also hear the yelling and he froze at the hatch that led to the lower deck of the ship. Sean stormed out and right past them.<p>

Ella balled her fists and went below deck. Elizabeth sat there staring blankly ahead. "I knew you did something sneaky." She said.

"Go away." Elizabeth said.

"Why did you do it?" Ella asked.

"To give us a chance to get away." Elizabeth replied.

"That's what you say." Ella said with a scowl.

"I don't have to answer to you, or anyone." Elizabeth said as she got up and left.

Ella shook her head and sat down. They had the Pearl again, and they had Jack, all that was left for them was to figure out a way to get out of the Locker alive. 

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>bluelibellule13, Shiningheart of ThunderClan,<strong>and** JainaZekk621 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

Again, another short chapter, I apologize for the delay... you see, my cousins came for the weekend, and I haven't had the time to write, also... things have been VERY hectic, especially now that I'm taking summer classes. I hope I don't take this long to update next!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	21. A Surprise Most Unpleasant

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella sat at the bow, her silence disturbed by Pintel and Ragetti, they peered over the edge. "Eerie, that's downright macabre." Pintel commented.<p>

"Wonder what would happen if you dropped a cannonball on one of 'em?" Ragetti commented.

She crawled to the rail and stared over to see floating souls in the water, glimmering like beautiful wraiths in the water. She imagined if she got too close they would grab her, and take her soul with them. Tia Dalma stood beside her, staring down at the souls as well. "So beautiful." Ella commented. "Yet, so tragically sad."

The two returned each with a cannon ball each. "Be disrespectful, it would." Pintel said as they dropped the weapons.

"They should be in the care of Davy Jones." Tia Dalma said. "That was the duty him was charged with by the goddess Calypso. To ferry them who dies at sea to the other side. And every ten years he could come ashore to be with she who love him, truly. But the man has become a monster."

Ella was looking up at the witch.

"So he wasn't always...tentacly?" Ragetti said as he wiggled his fingers under his chin.

"No, him was a man." She replied.

Ella could hear longing in her voice, and pain. "You speak like you knew him." She whispered.

There was a short silence. "Now it's boats coming."

Ella got up and walked further along the deck to watch from the rail. Tia Dalma was right behind her; she hoisted herself and sat on the rail, her legs dangling to the dark waters below them. On the first boat she saw a familiar face. "Mum?" She said as she sat up. "Mo- Mother, is that -?"

She felt someone grab the back of her vest. "Get onto the ship."

"Mother?" Ella asked as she shrugged whoever it was off. Not too far away from them they saw Governor Swann.

"We're back!" Elizabeth said. "Father, look here!" She sounded excited.

Ella stared at Annabelle, she felt like she couldn't breathe. "I don't think we're back." She said, her voice shook as she spoke.

Annabelle spotted Ella. "Ella? Eleanor, is that you? Is that really you?"

"W-who else…" She choked out.

"They told me you were killed – they said – you are dead, aren't you?"

She shook her head. "No." It was a whisper, barely audible. Elizabeth was having a similar conversation with her own father.

"Then, they lied." Annabelle had tears in her eyes. "Beckett is nothing but lies and deceit."

"What did they tell you?" She asked as she walked to keep up with the moving boat. "What did he –" She was fighting to keep her temper and anguish in check.

"He said – you failed to uphold your end of the bargain." She said. "And that – I knew too much."

"Knew too much?"

"There was this chest, you see." She heard Governor Swann say. "And a heart. At the time it seemed so important."

She realized her mother was saying something very similar. Annabelle had tears in her eyes. "I learned that if you stab the heart, yours must take its place." She said. "Sail the seas for eternity. The Dutchman must always have a captain." She looked ahead, Ella saw her tremble. "Silly thing to die for."

"Is that why -?" Her voice broke off. Tears choked her as she put a hand over her mouth. "Is that why he killed you?"

"At least now I will finally find some peace." Annabelle said.

"M-Mother –" She started.

"And finally be with James again."

"Don't – I –"

"You know I am beyond saving." She said with the most beautiful smile Ella had ever seen on the woman. "I love you so much."

"Don't go." Ella said. "Please –" She sunk to her knees as she watched the boat vanish from her sights.

They gathered around her, and Elizabeth. Ella suddenly got up and ran past all of them as she headed down below. They could hear anguished yells and things crashing about.

Whatever anger and anguish she had felt since she left Port Royal came out in an overwhelming explosion, hot tears rolled down her face as she yelled at nothing, her voice raw with emotion as she blindly threw her tantrum. Someone gripped her tightly, at first she thrashed and fought the grip but then succumbed to it as she clung to whoever it was.

She calmed down a while later; she looked up to see it was Will who had stopped her tirade. She let out a sigh. "I don't even remember the last time I cried." She said through a congested nose.

He was silent.

"I failed her." She said as she let out a shuddering yawn.

"You did not fail her." He whispered gently.

"I should have never left her." She said. "If I had stayed –"

"It would be you on that boat." He said.

She was silent.

"Look at me." He said.

She sat up and stared at him. Tears rimmed her red eyes. "What do I have left?" She asked shakily. "Annabelle was the one person I wanted to save, she was my reason to fight – what do I have know?"

"You have me." He said quietly.

She wound her arms around his neck and then hid her face in his shoulder as her body shook with silent sobs.

After a while her short and frequent breaths gave way to even slow ones. He slowly unlatched her arms that were already slack, and he saw she was asleep. He adjusted his hold on her and carried her to one of the many hammocks that hung in the enclosed area.

Once she was securely resting in one he gingerly brushed her bangs to the side and kissed her forehead before leaving her in the dark gloom of that room.

* * *

><p>When she awoke her throat was sore, she sat up only to fall out of the hammock face-first onto the grimy flow below her. "Ow." She groaned. She sat up and rubbed her nose as she stood up and made her way up the stairs.<p>

The blazing sun hurt her eyes as she quickly shielded them. People were thrown about the deck as they lounged lazily. Will got up the moment he spotted her; she managed a small smile as he walked over to her. His hand instantly cupped her cheek. "Thank you." She said.

He looked confused.

"I imagine I was a right terror last night." She said with an odd chuckle.

He smiled gently. "Well." He said. "We've been in each others faces for –" He paused to think.

"Longer than I would like to recount." She commented almost dryly.

"I think you are allowed to have one tantrum." He said lightly.

"A tantrum indeed." She grinned.

"Why is all but the rum gone?" Pintel complained.

"Rum's gone too." Mr. Gibbs replied.

The two sat with their back's together, leaning on each other as the sun beat down mercilessly. Mr. Gibbs got up, making Pintel fall to the ground, the pirate made to motion to get up.

"If we cannot escape these doldrums by nightfall, I fear we will sail trackless seas, doomed to roam the reach between worlds...forever." Tia Dalma said.

Ella walked away from Will to stand beside her and Mr. Gibbs. "With no water, forever seems to be arriving a mite too soon." He said.

"Why doesn't he do anything?" Will asked as he looked at Barbossa.

"I don't think there is anything he can do." Ella replied. She spotted Jack sitting to the side, studying the charts.

"There's no sense to it." Gibbs said.

"And the green flash happens at sunset, not sunrise." Will said quietly.

They all pondered the puzzle. "OVER THE EDGE...it's drivin' me over the bloomin' edge. Sunrises don't set." Gibbs said.

Ella walked over to Jack, he was mumbling to himself. She then heard him say something that caught her attention. "Not sunset, sundown...and rise." He turned the middle dial on the scroll. "Up." He said getting up. "Oh! What's that!" He asked.

"What?" Ella questioned.

"Over there." He said and then ran to one rail.

"No, no! Over there!" He returned to the rail they were by. "What's that? I don't know, what IS that? What do you think?"

"You've officially gone mad." She stated simply.

He kept running back and forth, each time he went more people joined him curiously.

She looked up as Barbossa neared her. "Aye, he's got it."

"He's rocking the ship!" Pintel exclaimed.

"He's rocking the ship!" Ragetti yelled out excitedly.

Ella quickly ran to join them. If rocking the ship was what they were supposed to do to get back, then she would join in as well.

The more they ran the more the ship swayed in the water. It wasn't before long they had to grip the rail to avoid falling to their deaths. One of the crew did fall, a cannon falling right after him, crushing him to death.

Ella gasped as she gripped the rail tightly. "Now up." Jack said. "Is down."

And at that the ship completely flipped into the water.

Ella was staring as best as she could in the salty water, she would have gasped as she saw the flash of green, and then it was all over, the ship righted itself with a mighty heave.

They all crashed to the ground, coughing and spluttering, and staring at each other in shock. "Blessed sweet westerlies, we're back!" Gibbs said.

Ella saw Pintel and Ragetti tied to the mast upside-down. She sat up and laughed, coughing at the same time. "You figured that would help?"

Pintel struggled to get free. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"It's sunrise." Elizabeth said.

They all looked up and saw the rising sun. Then suddenly there was a flourish of movement. Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Sean and Barbossa had all pulled their guns out on each other; Jack the monkey pointed a small gun at Mr. Cotton's parrot.

"Hey!" Ella cried out.

They all laughed and lowered their guns, only to point them again. "All right, then. The Brethren Court's a-gatherin' at Shipwreck Cove. And Jack, you and I are a-goin', and there'll be no arguin' that point." Barbossa said.

"I is arguin' the point. If there's pirates a-gatherin', I'm pointing my ship the other way." Jack stated.

"The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, and you're a pirate." Elizabeth said.

"Fight or not, you're not running, Jack." Will said.

"If we don't stand together, they'll hunt us down one by one, till there be none left, but you." Barbossa said.

As they spoke they changed the positions of their guns.

"I quite like the sound of that. Captain Jack Sparrow, the last pirate." Jack smirked.

"That doesn't really suit us." Sean scowled.

"Aye," Barbossa started. "And you'll be fightin' Jones alone. And how does that figure into your plan?"

"I'm still working on that. But I'll not be going back to the locker, mate, count on that." Jack said. He then shot at Barbossa but nothing happened. They all followed suit and got nothing but a series of wet clicks.

"Wet powder." Mr. Gibbs said as he rolled his eyes.

"Wait!" Pintel said, they had somehow gotten free. "We can still use them as clubs."

Ragetti hit his friend on the head to test the theory.

"Ow!" Pintel cried out.

"Sorry." He said as he studied his pistol. "Effective, though."

"What's our plan then, if you can't kill each other now?" Ella asked.

They all gathered around Will and the chart.

"There's a freshwater spring on this island." He said pointing to something on the map. "We can re-supply there, and get back to shooting each other later." He said.

"You can lead the shore party, and I'll stay with my ship." Jack said.

"And trust you to not abandon us?" Ella asked.

"You always say that, luv." He said. "It wounds me."

"Because it's true." She said. "You'd sell your own mother."

"That is a –"

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command." Barbossa said, interrupting them.

"Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command...temporarily." Will said.

"Why don't we all go ashore?" Ella suggested.

They all nodded in agreement as the ship made course to that island. 

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>Shiningheart of ThunderClan,<strong>and** JainaZekk621 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

Omg, I just realized we passed the 20th chapter mark! All thanks to you guys!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	22. Meeting up with Cutler Beckett again

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>Ella stood at the rail, watching as an island loomed ever closer. "Who will be joining our expedition?" Barbossa asked.<p>

Ella looked over to them. She then walked to Jack. "I want to stay aboard." She said.

They all looked at her.

Jack strolled over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "I trust Elly –" He started.

She pushed him away. "And I still don't like you." She said.

"Let's get going." Sean said.

Ella watched as they left, one by one, Will glanced back at her to see if she was ok. She waved with a small grin.

She had been left with a couple of crew members, not enough to steal the ship, but enough to keep watch.

On the beach she saw a massive corpse that looked like it belonged to the Kraken. So mighty a creature it was now looked desolate and degraded as it was thrown on the sandy beach, its tentacles swaying with the tide. She was saddened. 'The grip of Beckett is stronger than what we ever imagined.' She thought sadly.

There was nothing stopping her from getting to Beckett now. She thought that a much wiser person would probably tell her to run and never look back. But she was not raised to retreat; she was raised to fight whatever adversary was tossed her way.

She walked to the wheel and put her hands on the warm wood, she tried to give it a turn but someone had done something to it to keep it from turning. She let out a sigh and then went to sit on the rail. It felt like she was expecting something. It did not take long before she saw sails of a ship from the Far East. She quickly tumbled to the rail and ran to the other side, swiftly jumping onto the other one; she then cupped her hands around her mouth and spotted some one on the beach. "OI!" She called out as loudly as she could, for someone who was usually soft spoken her voice did not ring out that impressively.

Someone turned from the Island.

"OI!" She tried again.

She could hear Ragetti yell out.

She turned to the people on the ship. "Protect the ship." She commanded as she drew her sword.

The ship neared them, soon pirates began to swing on deck, and the remaining crew members engaged them in a fight. Ella found herself face to face with Sao Feng, their blades locked as she glared up at him. "How did you find us?" She asked.

"I assure you it was quite a coincidence." He said. "But do not forget the –"

"The bargain was not my own, I had no say in it." She spat.

"But I can offer you what you set out to do originally." He said slyly.

She glared at him as he circled her slowly; he looked at her with the eyes of a vulture. They heard cheers as the crew of the Pearl arrived.

Barbossa sent a glare to Ella before looking at Sao Feng. "Sao Feng, you showing up here, 'tis truly a remarkable coincidence."

The Pirate Lord ignored Barbossa and marched over to Jack. "Jack Sparrow, you paid me great insult once."

"Really? That doesn't sound like me." Jack said.

In response Jack was dealt with a swift punch in the nose by Sao Feng. Secretly Ella wondered if it was as gratifying as it looked.

There was a sickening crack as Jack adjusted his nose. "Shall we just call it square, then?" He asked.

Will appeared.

"Ah, Captain Turner." Sao Feng said.

"Captain Turner?" Jack questioned.

"Aye, the perfidious rotter led a mutiny against us." Mr. Gibbs said.

Jack looked at Ella. "Did you know about this, Elly?" He asked.

She nodded silently and slowly.

"I need the Pearl to free my father. That's the only reason I came on this voyage." Will said. "Ella had no part in this; I just wanted to ensure her safety."

Jack pointed at Will. "He needs the Pearl! Captain Turner needs the Pearl!" He said and then looked at Elizabeth. "And you felt guilty." He pointed at Ella. "And you are all for your revenge." He then looked at Barbossa. "And you and your Brethren Court! Did no one come to save me just because they missed me?" He stated almost dramatically.

Jack the Monkey's hand went up, followed by Ragetti, Pintel, Mr. Cotton, and Marty.

"I'm standing over there with them." He said.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but there's an old friend who wants to see you first." Sao Feng said as he put an arm around Jack's shoulders and led him to the rail.

"I'm not certain I can survive any more visits from old friends." Jack stated.

"Here's your chance to find out." Sao Feng said.

Ella followed Sao Feng as he led Jack to an awaiting boat.

"Ella, wait." Will said hurriedly.

"I have to do this." She said as she looked at him.

He nodded and watched her step down into the boat.

Sao Fen looked at Ella as two of his crewmen rowed them over. "You surprise me." He stated.

"Beg pardon?" She asked.

"You pursue something that will no doubt be the end of you, and you have everything a woman could ask for." He stated.

She blinked.

"Tell her." Jack said.

A glare from Ella and Sao Feng silence him.

"I don't understand." Ella said. "What do you mean?"

"There was no doubt in Turner's eyes." He said. "A seasoned sailor such as I can recognize things such as love and that man had a lot of love when he looked at you."

She shrugged and stared at her knees. "I never understood what it meant to be loved like that, anyways." She looked up as the massive naval ship shaded them. A rope ladder was let down and they climbed up.

* * *

><p>Ella looked down at the irons that were clasped about her wrists. Beckett was speaking to her. "You know, Ms. Ashwood, I am surprised that you had the courage to return to me." He said.<p>

"I figured, since you already took every parent I ever had – I owed it to you to show you that I'm still around." She shrugged as she sat in a chair and crossed her legs. "I meet Nathan Ashwood." She stated. "He told me what it is you did."

"Nathaniel Ashwood is still alive?" He questioned.

"Nope." She said. "He's on the Dutchman." She paused. "He's just undead."

Beckett looked at her. "And how did you end up there?"

"Long story." She said. "But its not like you care, is it?" She put her foot down and held her wrists up. "I'm unarmed."

"But you have been proved to be very creative." He replied.

She sat back. "What do you want?" She asked.

"You see Ms. Ashwood; you have proved to be quite a nuisance." He said.

"I am sorry to have inconvenienced you." She said.

"That will be fixed very soon." He promised.

"What?" She asked curiously. She saw him pull out a small pistol, she chuckled. "That thing is tiny."

"Indeed." He agreed.

* * *

><p>Jack looked around as he was brought in, he could have sworn he had heard a gunshot. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a familiar body on the floor. Ella had a bullet-hole in her stomach, she was breathing quickly and her shackled hands were on her face.<p>

"Oh." He said.

"How nice of you to join us." Beckett said.

"Not a problem." Jack said. He walked to Ella and saw she had blood gently pouring out of her mouth and nose. "What happened here?" He asked.

Mercer walked in with two soldiers who grabbed Ella and carried her out of the room.

He stared at the stain of blood and then back up at Beckett. "It's curious. Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack." He started. "Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates is enough to take down the Flying Dutchman." He looked at Jack with a smirk. "And so despair leads to betrayal. But you and I are no strangers to betrayal, are we, Jack?"

Jack had to be unfazed by what he had seen of Ella, in reality he was worried what might have happened to her. Rather he snooped around in hopes of finding the heart. "It isn't here, Jack." Beckett said.

"What isn't?"

"The heart of Davy Jones." He replied. "It's safely aboard the Dutchman, and so unavailable for use as leverage to satisfy your debt to the good Captain."

"By my reckoning, that account has been settled." Jack said. His eyes flicked to the spot of blood on the carpet.

"By your death? And yet, here you are." Beckett said.

"Close your eyes and pretend it's all a bad dream. That's how I get by." Jack shrugged.

* * *

><p>Ella was barely conscious; all she could feel was the bullet that was lodged in her stomach, the pain had grown so intense that she didn't feel it any more.<p>

Will argued with Sao Feng once Mercer was gone. "You agreed; the Black Pearl was to be mine."

"And so it was." Sao Feng said as one of his men punched Will in the gut.

Everyone fell silent as Ella was brought aboard, and unceremoniously dumped onto the deck. Will's eyes widened as she let out a shuddering breath. He broke away from the men and ran to her, everyone was silent as he cradled her in his arms.

Barbossa walked over to Sao Feng as they watched as Will repeatedly called out Ella's name. "It's a shame they're not bound to honor the Code of the Brethren, ain't it? Because honor's a hard thing to come by nowadays."

Sao Feng tore his gaze away from them. "There's no honor in remaining with the losing side. Leaving it for the winning side, that's just good business."

Ella looked up at Will; she could barely make out his face as she weakly lifted a hand to his face. He quickly gripped it and kissed her palm repeatedly. He froze as she said something. "What?" He asked.

"Throw me to the sea." She whispered.

"Ella –"

"Just do it –" She coughed up blood. She was pale, and tears leaked out of her eyes. "Throw me to the sea."

"I can't –" He said.

"T-trust me." She whispered. "Like I trusted you."

He picked her up, and slowly walked to the rail, he didn't want to throw her, but he knew deep in his heart that there was no chance she could live. Her cold forehead was pressed to his jaw. "Will?" She whispered. "I love you." She said.

Sean walked over and took Ella from Will who was frozen in his spot, he then threw her overboard. He looked at Will who had tears rolling down his cheeks. "Why did you do that?" Will asked.

"Because I you wouldn't have done it on your own." He said. For once he did not say it snidely, and he looked at Will with sympathetic eyes. "She wanted you to trust her, and you should do that."

Will walked to the rail and looked down. "She said she loved me."

"Have you ever doubted it, mate?" Sean asked.

* * *

><p>Thank you to <strong>Shiningheart of ThunderClan(<strong>You had a very valid point, but that chapter was supposed to be like that.****)**,**and** JainaZekk621 **for reviewing! Also, a thank you to those who have favorited and/or added this story to their Alert list, and thank you to whoever is reading this! =]

DON'T HATE ME! please? I promise I won't leave you all hanging like that! On my honor as a Pirate!

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	23. Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

* * *

><p>She was floating. Like those wraiths in the water, she felt nothing but weightlessness. The pain was gone, the current gently carried her like wind carried leaves.<p>

She thought of everyone, and of the one person she would have gladly put her life on the line, but it was too late. She was already dead.

But she was terrified. Did death mean no more life? No more sailing? No more Jack? And most importantly no more Will?

She wanted a way out. She did not want to die, because dying meant being alone. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be with Will. She didn't want to be parted from him.

"Eleanor Ashwood." A voice asked. "Will ye serve?"

Whose voice was that? She had heard it before as it taunted her, the voice that terrified her now felt like a solution. Davy Jones. The one man that scared her out of her wits was now her only hope. She turned to face the man that had been deformed for the woman he loved.

If love did that, did she want to live? Did she really want to return to Will? The only man she ever loved? Did she want to bind herself to the ship that brought her nightmares?

For every wish there was a price.

What was her wish?

Will. It was as simple as that. She didn't want to be parted from him… but at what cost?

She looked up at the Captain that struck fear into her heart and she nodded slowly and reluctantly. "I will serve."

* * *

><p>Nathan looked at his daughter as she tied a slimy rope down. "Don't look at me like that." She said.<p>

"What possessed you to sell your soul?" He questioned.

"I don't want to talk about it." She muttered.

He scoffed. "Was it love?" He asked. "It usually is love."

"I heard it was cowardice when you agreed to serve." She spat as she walked away.

"It _is_love!" He said as he followed her. "Don't tell me, its Bootstrap's son."

"Leave me alone." She grumbled as she continued with her duties. She glared at a naval man as he walked past them.

"So it was for him." He said.

She looked at Nathan. "I think I don't like you." She said as she walked away.

As she walked she heard a familiar voice. "Miss Hawthorne?" Someone said.

She turned around. "James Norrington?" She questioned.

The soldier walked over to her, he almost looked happy to see her. "I never thought I would see you again!" He said.

She frowned. "Even if it was you who betrayed us?" She asked.

His smile fell. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I died." She replied simply.

"You…"

"I swore my soul to the captain of this ship. One hundred years before the mast, as is custom." She shrugged her boney shoulders.

"I am so sorry." He said.

"Sorry doesn't mean much when you're dead." She said. "I just proved, though, that I am a coward, just like my lovely father –" She said sarcastically as she pointed to Nathan. "And Jack."

They heard a noise. "What is that?" She asked.

"Sao Feng has betrayed the company." He said. "I must leave you."

She nodded and watched him leave. She walked about the deck aimlessly. She had been there days but it felt like a lifetime. On her left cheek she had already begun to show signs of her curse, a starfish began to form just below her eye, and her left arm seemed to be a bit scaly to her. She also got a taste of the whip across her back from disobeying Captain's orders, the Bo'sun really could cleave flesh from bones, or that is how it felt.

Sometimes she would look for Bootstrap, but she had no luck in finding him. Her quarters were a small nook below deck that was covered in barnacles and slime. As she walked and began to ponder about her fate on the accursed ship she heard a familiar voice.

She walked to the brig and saw Norrington standing at the bars.

"Elizabeth?" She questioned.

The other woman turned, her eyes widened. "Ella." She whispered.

James nodded before leaving them. "Hi." Ella said as she walked to the bars.

"But we saw you – Will – Sean –"

"I did die." Ella nodded. "And… I think its obvious how I got here."

"But why?" Elizabeth asked.

Ella shook her head. "I think there was a naïve thought in me head that said I could find you all again." She said. "But now I'm doomed to serve a life time here…" She touched the starfish on her cheek. "Does it look horrible?"

"It suits you." Elizabeth said with a sad smile.

"Thanks." She said while rolling her eyes. The women were silent and then Ella spoke up quietly. "How is he?"

"I don't know." She said. "Sao Feng took me with him… he called me Calypso… and named me Pirate lord."

Ella's eyes widened. "Calypso you say?" She asked.

"Yes, do you know her?" Elizabeth asked.

"I know of her." She said before walking off.

Calypso. The Sea goddess, the untamable will of the seas until imprisoned in her human form. She scratched her chin as she walked, unaware of where it was she was treading. She then bumped into someone, she fell back and apologized profusely only to see Davy Jones.

Since her servitude her fear of the man had lessened, he seemed to understand why she was there, and she respected him. In fact, sometimes she felt like she pitied him. She sat up and paused. "Captain? Can I ask you a question?"

"I don't have time for your trifles." He said as he walked away.

"Who is Calypso?" She asked.

He froze. "What?"

"I knew Calypso was the sea goddess." She said. "How does she fit into –" She paused. "Was it her?" She asked. "Was she your love?"

He walked away, but as he did she could hear a quiet 'Yes' that was carried by the wind.

She let out a sigh as she went below deck.

* * *

><p>As she slept she felt someone kick her leg. "Ow." She said quietly.<p>

"Get up!" It was Nathan.

"What do you want –" She gasped as he grabbed her by the front of her vest and dragged her.

"Hey!" She yelled angrily. "Let go of me!"

She was thrown down; when she looked up she saw the blank eyes of James Norrington. She sat up and looked at Davy Jones. "Tell us know, Eleanor Ashwood, did you know about this?" He said.

She recoiled as he crouched down to stare at her. "I swear I did not know this would happen." She said.

The Captain turned and left her. Everyone else followed as Ella turned to look at the fallen officer. "Oh James." She whispered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder; she looked up at Nathan who looked upset. "It's a pity that those who do great deeds have to fall at the hands of the Devil." He stated.

"What do I do with the body?" She asked.

"Throw it overboard." He said before leaving.

She looked at James and sighed sadly, the absence of the ship that used to belong to Sao Feng meant that Elizabeth and her crew had gotten free. He had risked his life to save Elizabeth.

"So much death." She murmured as she hoisted him up. "Thank you." She said as she hugged the corpse. "I'm so sorry." She whispered before she pushed him over the rail. She watched as his body hit the water and disappeared, a single lone tear slid down her cheek. "At least you're free." She leaned on the rail and watched the dark depths below.

She turned and went back to her nook, the whole time she thought of her friends.

She scrubbed the deck although it was pretty pointless because it seemed like it was always slimy. Her sleeves were rolled up past her elbows a worn bandana was tied on her wrist to hide her brand, just above it there was a small black drawing, inked in by one of the crewmen. It was a dragonfly, because her favorite bug when they were in the bayou was the dragonfly.

A pair of boots appeared by the bucket. "You know that's pointless."

She glared up at Nathan who smirked.

"If I don't do something I might just go mad." She said.

"Which is something that is very normal." He said. "You'll just end up like Bootstrap, a senile part of the ship – part of the ship, part of the crew."

"Thank you for giving me hope." She said dryly.

"Your welcome." He said before stalking off.

She rolled her eyes and continued with her chores.

* * *

><p>Phew, bet you thought I killed her for good! Actually, you're smarter than that, and I bet you know I wouldn't have her die for naught! Short chapter, I know, but that is because the end is nigh... or not, I don't know - will I have an original storyline after this one is over? Stay tuned to find out!<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	24. Never Shall We Die

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

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><p>She prepared with the rest of the crew, behind the Dutchman was an armada of British Naval Ships. She didn't want to fight her friends, but she was on captain's orders. She pushed up her sleeve to inspect her scaly arm, the scales were a bit more defined now, and they glimmered dully in the sun. With a groan she pushed her sleeve down and continued to pull on the rope.<p>

She walked to the rail and saw the Pearl, she suddenly missed everyone. Marty, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Gibbs, even Barbossa. She felt a longing to be amongst them again, her heart hurt her as she slowly turned away. All she could see were the deformed crewmen of the Dutchman, some grunted at her, others walked by without even sparing a glance.

Her longing only increased. Battle was upon them and she wanted nothing more than to be on the right side, the side of the Brethren Court and the Pearl. She never thought she would ever wish it, but she wished she could see Jack again.

As if a response to her wish she could hear a familiar voice. "Elly?"

She looked to see Jack standing with Davy Jones, she gasped and ran to hug the smelly pirate she loathed. "I still don't like you." She said.

"You can say that all you want, love." He said.

"What is the meaning of this?" Davy Jones angry voice said.

Ella quickly stepped away from Jack. "I'm sorry Captain."

"Since ye be so close to Sparrow – why don't ye take him to the brig?"

Ella nodded and took the keys from Bo'sun as she grabbed Jack's arm and led him below. "Have you been workin' on yer strength?" He asked. "You seem –"

"All comes with the curse." She replied.

She pushed him into the brig and then followed him in, she then locked the door and put the key down her shirt. Jack smirked but a glare silenced him. He then frowned. "Why did you do it?" He asked.

"Nathan asked the same thing." She muttered.

"Yer pop?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said as she sat down. Jack sat down beside her. "I was… afraid." She whispered.

"You? Afraid?" He snorted. "You fought Sirens, and got bit by Naftes." He grabbed at her side and then grabbed her hand to stop her from slapping him.

"I was never alone when that happened." She said as she let her hand fall to her lap. "Those times… I always knew I would have someone waiting for me in the end. But death?" She frowned. "It's such a lonely and desolate thing."

"And you couldn't be happy with Turner." He said.

She was silent.

"We aren't too different, you and I." He said.

"Yes." She said. "And I hate that."

He chuckled and put an arm around her shoulder, she leaned into his side. "Ah, Love, you know you can never truly hate me, after all, who am I?"

"A narcissistic pretentious idiot." She muttered.

"I'm hurt." He said.

"No you aren't." She got up.

"You miss us." He said as she began to look for the key.

"Yes." She said with a small nod. "I could have sworn –"

"Lookin' for this?" He asked as he held up the key.

Her jaw dropped as she crossed her arms slowly over her chest, feeling violated.

"Did you think that would stop me?" He asked; his teeth glinted in the gloom.

The slap that followed resonated in the brig. She then walked out and locked the door behind her.

"You look good." He then said as he stared at her.

"You say that too all the girls." She said as she leaned on the bars.

"But I mean every word I say to you, love." He said as he watched her walk away. 

* * *

><p>Up on deck Ella gripped a rapier, it was her own but had deformed as she had, the guard was now shaped like a star, and the blade looked scaly. Nathan was beside her. "A storm is brewing." He said.<p>

"It doesn't feel natural." She replied, the wind stirred, her damp stringy hair whipped about madly she removed the bandana from her wrist and tied it about her head. Slowly it began to rain. "Calypso!"

Both daughter and Father looked up. "So they released her." Nathan said.

"Released Calypso?" She asked.

"From her human bonds." He said nodding. "Listen, Ella." He looked down at her. "If we survive this – I would –"

"Let's survive first." She said. "But know that even if I am a part of this crew, I will not be fighting with it."

He looked grim but he nodded anyways. "I see Izzy raised you well." He said.

"For the most part." She shrugged. "Beckett killed her when I was ten."

Nathan looked at her. She walked to the rail and stared through the steady downpour. "So begins the end." She muttered.

Her eyes widened when her eyes beheld the strangest thing she had yet to see. A vortex in the center of the stretch of ocean between the two armies.

"Maelstrom." Nathan said. "The wrath of the goddess Calypso."

She ran to the helm. "Captain, ahead."

"Aye." Davy Jones said.

"Veer out!" Mercer commanded.

"She'll not harm us. Full bore and into the abyss!" He said.

"Are you mad?" Mercer yelled.

"Ha." Davy laughed. "You afraid ta get wet?"

"Here you have no authority anymore." Ella smirked.

Mercer was about to say something but the Dutchman headed right for the vortex silence him.

She went below and bumped into Jack. "Jack!"

"Don't slap me!" He said.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I thought like the whelp." He said simply.

"Will?"

"Aye, follow me." He said.

They walked into Davy Jones' quarters, and there were two officers she remembered from Port Royal, they were guarding the chest. "Hold it or I'll shoot!" Mullroy yelled aiming the mini cannon at them.

"Nice one." Jack said. "I just came to get me effects. Admirable though it may be… why are you here when you could be elsewhere?" He asked.

"Someone has to stay and guard the chest." Murtogg said, and then they remembered their charged and aimed their weapons at it again.

"There is no question, there has been a breakdown in military discipline aboard this vessel." Mullroy said with a small shrug.

"I blame the fish people." Murtogg said.

"I take offense to that." Ella muttered.

"Oh! So fish people, by dint of being fish people, automatically aren't as disciplined as non-fish people?" Mullroy said.

"Seems contributory, is all I'm suggesting."

Jack and Ella rolled their eyes as Jack grabbed the chest and they made a run for it. "That was too easy." She commented. "Like you knew they would argue."

"I've come across them before." Jack said.

"Jack." Ella said.

They stopped short of the fray on deck. "What is it, love?" He asked.

"Can you promise me something?" She asked.

"Anythin'." He said.

"Keep the chest away from Will." She said. "This was a life I chose for myself, he needn't curse himself as well."

"And what do you suggest we do with it?" He asked.

"You're Captain Jack Sparrow." She said with a coy shrug. "You'll figure something out."

She saw pirates from the other side had begun to board as the Pearl and Dutchman were locked in a battle. Ella drew her sword and locked blades with the nearest Dutchman crewman.

"Mutiny!" He spat.

"I'm choosing a side." She replied.

"Behind you!" Someone yelled.

She turned and saw a soldier behind her, with a quick slash the soldier fell to the ground, her blade now covered in blood, with a quick flick she ran off.

Blood seemed to mix with the rain as she fought her way across the deck, stabbing, slashing, and dealing fatal blows to the soldiers that crossed her path. Her white shirt was now pink and she had gained some wounds of her own.

But the curse kept the pain at bay. She could feel pain, but she knew that had she not been cursed it she would be incapacitated.

"Ella?" Someone said from behind her.

She turned and saw Will; he locked shocked to see her. "Will!" She cried out and then ran his way; a soldier had snuck up behind him. With a quick slash the man fell to the ground with a gurgling cry and a slit across his throat. "You look surprised to see me." She said with a grin.

"I –" He seemed to be at loss of words.

She chuckled and then began to move away to return to the fight.

He grabbed her free wrist and looked down at her. "Ella – I have to say –"

She shook her head and gestured to the battle. "I don't really think now is the time." She said.

"But –"

She kissed his cheek. "When this is all over." She said before running off.

He sighed and then focused at the fight. He wondered if they would have a chance after the battle like she said.

Ella had swung over to the Pearl to fight with them, as she was there she found herself fighting side by side with Barbossa. "Nice to see you again Hector."

He glared at her. "You're alive?"

She grinned as they worked together, bringing down enemy after enemy. "I don't know if you notice my little act of mutiny?"

"Just like your rotter of a father." He spat as their swords stabbed the same advisory.

"Now Hector, I am not my father." She said.

She ducked as his sword swung over her head. They locked blades and glared at one another. "What are ye doing?" He spat.

"I thought it was obvious." She replied. "I chose a side."

"Ye fight fer us, but ye look like the enemy."

"I chose a way out." She spat. "I think you, of all people, would know what that is like." She smirked. "Where was it that Will killed you? Isle Demurta?"

He glared at her and pushed her away.

"Plus." She said. "It looks like you need all the help you can get!"

"Go back to yer own ship." He said.

"Ok!" She said brightly. She ran and bumped into Sean. "Oh, hello there." She said waving before she swung back to the Dutchman only to find herself face to face with her Captain.

"Captain." She said.

"Mutinous wretch." He spat. She ducked the sword he was swinging.

"Wait! What if I can explain myself?" She asked as they locked blades.

"It is time I sent you to your delayed Judgment." He said.

They both gasped as a blade protruded from his chest. Ella stepped back and watched as Davy Jones bent the blade. "Mister, did you forget? I'm a heartless wretch."

With a jerk Will was sent flying to the ground. Ella's eyes widened, 'What has he done?' She thought, suddenly very afraid for Will.

"Ahhh, love." She heard her Captain say. "A dreadful bond. And yet so easily severed. Tell me, William Turner, do you fear death?"

"Wait!" Ella cried out.

"Do you?" Someone yelled. They turned to see Jack, a beating heart in his hand; blood seemed to be dripping off it as it moved slowly in Jack's hand. "Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand."

"You're a cruel man Jack Sparrow." Davy Jones spat.

"Cruel is a matter of perspective." Jack replied.

"Is it now?"

Ella stared in shock as time seemed to stop, everything was slow to her, the rain falling down like a shower of bullets, and the heart beating in Jack's hand… she could hear it in her ear. Or was it her own heart, pumping with her stale blood? She watched the blade got right to Will, she wanted to stop it, divert it as it went for his heart, she wanted to offer her own heart as a libation to the fearsome captain. And then in the blink of an eye, Will's pain cry brought her painfully back to reality.

And she heard laughter.

The cruel laughter of the man she thought had sympathy for her, the Captain who was torn from his own love, the captain who carved his heart out because he was denied that.

The Captain that just killed her own love.

It finally settled in her sluggish mind as everything seemed to go its normal pace. "Will!" She cried out an ran to his side as he was breathing heavily. "Why did you do it?" She asked. "Why?" She tried to hold him in her arms, but he was too heavy, and she was afraid to pull the blade out.

The blade she noticed as the one he had forged so many years ago for James when he became Commodore. The irony was cruel, and her tears felt hot in the cold rain.

"I'm sorry Elly, but I got to break my promise." Jack said as he kneeled beside Will.

Ella was staring at Will, her hand on his cheek as his eyes drooped. Too many people she had witnessed die. Her hand curled on his cheek as she gritted her teeth.

She then felt a pull in her being. It was strange and unpleasant as she got up. Every cell in her body cried the same thing.

The Captain of the Dutchman was dead. She felt like she had no control over her own body anymore as she walked to the chest.

* * *

><p>Jack, Elizabeth, and Sean watched the Dutchman go to the depths. "Where's Ella?" Sean asked. "And Will?"<p>

Jack was silent, his face grave as he watched the spot. "I don't think I could save Elly, I don't think she wants to be saved now." He said sadly.

Mr. Gibbs approached them. "Jack, the armada's still out there, the Endeavour's coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions..."

This snapped Jack out of his trance. "Never actually been one for tradition...luff the sails and lay on iron!"

Barbossa scowled. "Belay that, or we'll be a sitting duck."

Jack glared. "Belay that 'belay that.'"

"But captain..." Gibbs tried again.

"Belay!"

"The armada..."

"Belay!"

"The Endeavour..."

"Belay!"

"But we..."

"Kindly SHUT IT." Jack said with finality.

"What are you up to?" Sean asked.

"What are we waiting for?" Elizabeth asked.

As if on que the Dutchman arose from the depths. Jack smiled and went to the helm. "Full Canvas!" He yelled.

"Aye, full canvas!" Barbossa yelled in agreement.

The Pearl and Dutchman sailed together, blocking Beckett's ship, the Endeavor, between then. The anticipation brought on hope to all of them. They were wining, and it was all to the change in fortune that they had, and the new Captain of the Dutchman.

"Captain?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

Jack smiled. "Fire."

"FIRE!"

Cries of jubilation could be heard as the Endeavor was blown to pieces, somewhere in the distance they could hear song. Sean stood by the rail and stared at the Dutchman, he wondered what had become of his old friend and the one man she ever loved. 

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><p>Worry not! This is not the last chapter! Anyways, how was this chapter? I might be a bit iffy about it. I'm not sure.<p>

Anyways, Until next Chapter:  
>-Tari.<p> 


	25. One Day

**Disclaimer**: I don't own POTC, Disney does - I just own whatever OC's I add, and anything else I add.

Also, this chapter is fluffy... so... *shifty eyes*

* * *

><p>Captain William Turner stood on the rail, staring at the Pearl with a sad sigh.<p>

"Orders, Captain?" A voice asked.

He smiled gently and turned to look at Ella who looked the way she did before she was killed by Beckett. She walked over to him and leaned against the rail.

"Stay with me?" He asked.

"I think death has turned you into a sentimental idiot." She replied teasingly.

He rolled his eyes. "Death has given you a sense of humor."

"I was always funny." She said as he hugged her.

Her fingers traced the scar upon his chest as she stared at it sadly. "I was hoping you would avoid this… live happily – get married, have a couple of kids… then when you get sick of your wife you leave her and –"

She fell silent as he took her hand and placed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "I don't know what I should be worried about." He said. "The fact that you have just suggested I cheat on my wife." He looked at her. "Or that my future seems to be void of you."

She looked down and blushed.

"Eleanor Ashwood." He said quietly. "Will you serve?"

Words said from another captain menacingly, they were almost a threat.

But from Will it was a silent plea. She looked up at him. "Serve? Captain?"

"What I mean is stay by my side." He said.

She smiled gently and looked at their joined hands. "I guess I really don't have much of a choice, do I?" She asked.

He was about to say something but they heard someone say something. "Orders, sir."

They turned to see Bootstrap, now free from whatever was growing upon him, and Ella could finally see family semblance.

Ella gently pulled away from Will. "I'll go see to the boat." She said.

Will nodded and watched her leave.

Nathan leaned on the rail with a wide smirk on his face. "Shut up." She said.

"No." He said. "No, really, that display up there –"

She glared at him.

"I just hope, despite the circumstances, that I will someday see Grandchildren." He said.

Her face was scarlet. "What?"

"Hm? I said something?" He said before walking away.

"Creepy old man." She muttered.

Will came as he held the chest, the key hung around his neck. "Are you ready?" He asked.

She nodded and looked at the Island.

She stared at him as he rowed; he looked distracted as he tried to focus on the task ahead. "Will?" She asked silently.

"Hm?" He asked.

"In the battle, you said you had something…" She said.

He smiled at her. She looked down with a small smile of her own. "I'll tell you later." He promised.

She nodded and felt a bump as the boat reached the boat. Slowly they got down, she realized it had been ages since she last stood on land, she kicked off her boots and walked in the warm sand, she relished the feel of the sand between her toes.

He smiled as he watched her throw her belt and sword aside as her white shirt hung loosely on her frame. He never noticed her hair was curly, and the tips were bleached from the many hours in the sun. She looked at him curiously. "What?" She asked as he secured the boat on the beach so that even if the tide came in it wouldn't float away.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?" He asked as he walked over to her.

"You will be the first." She replied.

He cupped her cheek with his hand and grinned.

"OI!" Someone yelled.

They turned and saw Jack waving his arms about madly as he jumped onto the beach, Elizabeth and Sean followed. Ella grinned and grabbed Will's hand as she forcefully led him to them.

Jack held his arms wide open as if expecting a hug; instead what he got was a kick to the shin. "I still don't like you." She said.

"That hurts deep, love." He said.

She shook her head and hugged the smelly, loathsome, dishonest, scoundrel of a pirate that she was happy to consider her friend. "Thank you Jack." She whispered.

"I could never let down Izzy's girl." Jack said.

She smiled and pulled away. She then walked over to Sean and Elizabeth who watched them with unsure eyes.

"I'm sorry that it took this to restore out friendship." She said.

"Actually, it was you dying." Sean said.

"That's what I mean." She said dryly. "You are so tactless."

He shrugged.

Ella was shocked as Elizabeth hugged her. "I'm sorry I was not a very true friend." She said.

"Hey." Ella said. "We all got a bit crazy in the end." She said with a small grin.

They lingered on the island only a bit longer before each person went to their own ship leaving Ella and Will to watch them all leave. Ella's hand found Will's as they stared to the Horizon. "So, Captain." She said. "One day on land, ten at Sea… what do you want to do today?"

"Nothing." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"Ever since we were forced to leave Port Royal… we haven't had the chance to do nothing with easy minds, and restful hearts." He said simply as he walked to the base of a tree and dropped himself there. "I intend to do nothing –" He patted the sand beside him. "And you shall do it with me."

She sat beside him and stared at the ocean. "Nothing?"

"If you can." He said.

She grinned and grabbed his arm so she could lean against his side, he slid his arm around her waist and they sat in silence.

That silence stretched as the two undead beings sat and watched the dying day. Will finally spoke, "You never got to see through with your revenge." He said.

She shrugged and moved as they began to build a small fire to drive away the cold. "When we attacked the Endeavor, I saw Beckett's face amongst the fire, wood, and metal, and for the first time I pitied him."

"Pity?" He asked.

"You see, William." She said. "One thing I learned on this voyage is that every man has a purpose, and a reason."

"Is that so?" He asked as he sat beside her again.

"Well yes." She said with a nod. "Except people like Jack… Jack seems to be everywhere, everyplace, every time, and for no apparent reason."

"That is true." He said.

"Beckett must have thought what he was doing was noble." She said. "Or else… he wouldn't have done it."

He looked at her as she stared at the fire. "What if he did it because he had no reason?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said. "I never claimed to be good at reading people." She teased.

He reached over and grasped her hand.

* * *

><p>They walked to a cave within the Island. "How did you find this place?" She asked as she carried the chest.<p>

"Barbossa." He replied. "He said this place should be secure, and it will only open to us."

"But how?"

He pulled his knife out and did a quick cut on his palm, he then put his hand on the rock and wiped his hand down. He then handed her the knife and she did exactly as he did, when they removed their hands the ground began to shake and the wall before them slid down into the ground.

Will led her in and lit a torch. The cavern was nothing more than a room with a stone table in the middle, Will nodded to Ella and she walked and placed it there, she gasped and stood back as a thick layer of crystal appeared. "Will?"

"It's ok." He said. "It will protect the chest."

"What if –"

"As long as the key is safe with you." He said. "No one but you can ever get to it." He gave her the key and smiled gently.

She nodded and took it, placing the rope around her neck like a necklace as she hid it in her shirt. Hand in hand they walked out. "The sun is starting to rise." She said quietly.

"Yes." He said. He looked at her. "You don't have to follow me; you can stay on land, and live happily."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't choose this curse just because I was afraid, you know."

He chuckled and pulled her along. They pushed the boat into the water and smiled gently at each other.

As they rowed back to the ship she looked at him. "Where is our next heading, Captain?" She asked.

"Sadly, where ever death takes us." He replied.

"I imagine that, somehow, there will be some crazy adventure for us to go on." She said.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

Once they were at the ship a ladder was let down as they climbed up. The boat was brought up and secured.

Ella smiled gently, now the crewmen were not mutated fish people, but rather normal men that walked about and greeted them with smiles. Will made his way to the helm and took the wheel.

So began Ella's new life aboard the Dutchman, she was now without troubles in her heart, and the one person she had wanted to extract revenge upon was long gone. She let out a happy wish as she walked to the rail and stared at the ocean.

Things may not be as she had always dreamed they would be, but this was good enough for her.

* * *

><p>THIS is the final chapter of Eleanor's Revenge! So what do you all think? (I will still like to get reviews even when this is completed... Feedback helps me improve as a writer.)<p>

Now, I have a Sequel planned, does anyone want a sequel? I ask this because I don't know if it will be over-kill of not. So this is up to you, the readers!

Also, I have other stories if your interested, all on my profile of course, some varying in skill than others because of the way it seems I've improved over the years...

I want to thank **moon opheliac**, **bluelibellule13** (Your reviews always made my day so thank you!), **ciaranoelle**, **JainaZekk621,** **Shiningheart of ThunderClan**, **HeartBreakGirls54**, and **Saya Hikari Uchiha** For your reviews!

Also I would like to thank every person who favorited and put this story in their Alerts, its good to know that there is someone reading you work.

Finally I would like to say that writing this story was really fun, its good to be back in the POTC section, especially now I've managed to improve my writing. I was always thinking of this story every day, and as I fell asleep I would think of new ideas for the chapters.

Now I will stop my ranting, and I will bid you Adieu, until the next story!

-Tari.


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